Unknown Wars
by Lady Fenris
Summary: In Karse, there are wars everyday that no one ever hears about, but what happens when two survivors of the constant battlefield are Chosen?How will this knowledge effect the politics between Karse and Valdemar, and why is Alberich acting so strange?
1. Chapter 1

Unknown Wars By Lady Fenris

Chapter One: Like Sister Like Brother

Inan Fox was a formidable Herald, brave, sensible and had a spark for life that could almost be comical at times. Yet, he had not always been so well adjusted. He had come from out of Kingdom, and no one was truly sure which neighbor of Valdemar he had been born in, as he had described his home life and his people as wandering nomad tribes.

The Dean of Students had first beheld him atop a Companion in shredded black cloth looking road weary and cautious. Luckily for them he spoke an old dialect of Valdemerian that most of the students and teachers could understand. However the oddest things about him had been his sleeping habits, as gossiped by his roommate, and his diet.

Inan had come from a family that had never owned a house or a built a structure out of wood, including furniture. For months after arriving in the Collegium, Inan would sleep on the stone tiled hearth before the fireplace without even a blanket to grace his body.

Food had been a whole different packet of yarn, the middle-aged cook Mero would've laughed if he hadn't been so shocked by what he called Inan's lack of diet. Mero had put a plate of food in front of him when he had arrived so early in the morning that only the guards were awake. Yet the only thing he had touched was the root and mushroom porridge. The hot bread and butter, and the small venison steak had gone untouched. When Mero asked why, the fifteen-year-old boy had said,

"I didn't know what they were, so I didn't eat them."

Mero then inquired as to what he normally ate and was shocked. Apparently his whole diet consisted of a family of desert roots, that mostly people would avoid touching unless they were starving to death. The protein he ate came from rats and snake meat, which Mero found almost as disgusting as the thought of someone willingly eating brown berries.

Brown Berries were the bulbs of a rare medicinal vine, used to increase a person's immune system. The bulbs when ingested or their oils rubbed into the skin make wounds heal at a faster healthier rate, however the oils made the skin tingle in an annoying way for hours after contact.

Mero didn't ask any questions of Inan, he seemed to understand that his home life was harder than most of his year mates, or any other trainees he had ever met. In acceptance and silence, Inan and Mero had formed a special understanding, and a friendship that would never give out.

The other students had been surprised that while Inan had come from a fairly foreign background, that he had been well educated at home. He spoke four or five languages and over twenty dialects, he could figure and reason, and his penmanship was as neat and precise as some of the Master Bards.

He showed such amazing promise in all of his studies and his practical training, that there were rumors of his aspirations to teach, or one day be Dean of Students after Elcarth stepped down. All of these were rather unfounded gossip, as Inan confided in his friends that he would rather ride circuit on the borders than be stuck inside behind a desk.

To those who knew him well, this was far from surprising. Although he had adapted to a fairly regular civilized life, his heart was with nature, growing things, and the wide open sky. In the summer it was only the worst of cold spells that drove him from resting in the fields with his Companion.

These strange mannerisms were not new to the Collegium, since their students came from all walks of life, but in Inan these behaviors were almost spiritual in nature and it seemed wrong to try to dissuade him from them.

He was well liked, but only kept a few truly close friends. One of these was a boy with carrot red hair and a stout frame, named Barkus Rather, who never stopped smiling. His voice was boisterous and upbeat, a contrast to Inan's serious face and quiet disposition. The two were rarely without each other, except where classes were concerned of course.

Their friendship was rather complimentary in other ways as well. Barkus, who preferred to be called Red after his red hair, had been born and bred within the city walls of Haven and had rarely left the city at all. While he hadn't travelled the vast regions of Valdemar like many of their country born year mates, he understood and practiced many of the customs inherent in a Valdemarian lifestyle. In this way he became invaluable to Inan's adjustment to civilized life. Inan had a million questions, many of which Red could answer, and when he couldn't they would often seek out the Herald Library, sometimes for hours searching for the answers.

Red hadn't asked the obvious questions of his friend, he instead thought that if Inan wanted to confide in him about what his life had been before being chosen, he would. Everything else was of the moment to Red.

Over the years Inan had accustomed quiet nicely into Valdemerian life, but he never forgot where his roots had been planted. While he had grown into a charming young man who carried the wishing hearts of many a court maiden, he still seemed quite alone. Always quiet, always watching, as if he were waiting for a future moment to come into being that would change everything about him.

He matured into manhood with grace and passed his studies and internship with full marks. As a man in his twenties he could have any position he wished, and although it had long been his only goal to ride circuit or be stationed in the country, he had specially asked for a few months return to the Collegia. Red had been confused but happy to have his friend around, but it seemed lately that Inan was a thousand miles away.

Inan had been restless for months now, always looking out at the south-west horizon, and lingering near Companion's Field watching the youngest stallion with anticipation. Red couldn't make out what king of burr he had sat on, but he knew something big was going on, he just couldn't figure out what?

Selenay had been Queen for a couple of years now, the Tedrel Wars were over, and as far as he knew there were no battles in their neighboring territories. Officially everything was peaceful, but Red could feel something amiss in the air, almost like they were all waiting for the axe to fall, but only he and Inan knew about it. Sooner or later he knew that all of Valdemar would be drawn into the thick of it, but there was nothing to be done right now, so Red pushed the uneasy feeling to the back of his mind and went on with his duties.

At the end of Harvest season, and a few weeks before the season of frost when most of the trees had lost their colorful bowers Companion Orestes, the youngest stallion, approached the Field Master to be bridled for his Chosen Ride.

Inan watched as Orestes clambered for all he was worth down the road and out of sight. Dean Elcarth was standing next to his friend with a concentrated look on his face,

"You've been a bit high strung as of late lad, yet a Companion leaving for his Chosen has you more relaxed then I've seen you since springtime,"

"Yes sir." Inan said with a casual and rehearsed indifference.

"Inan, one day, will you tell me why?"

"Elcarth, one day will come faster than you know." He said as he turned away from the window, placing a comforting hand on the older man's shoulder as he went.

Elcarth sighed, but was not so inattentive that he didn't hear the soft whispered prayer of his friend's lips.

"Come to me safely little sister."

Elcarth spun, but was standing alone in the hallway. Sister? Solitary Inan had a sister? And she was coming here?

Then the pieces came together, the Companion that had just left was the same one he'd been shadowing for months now. He must have felt it, maybe through his thought-sensing gift that his sister would be chosen? Or maybe his Companion had said something? Whatever the way, Elcarth was stunned that Inan could have had this inkling and not said a thing to him, but what had prompted the prayer for her safety?

He had waited for Inan to tell him of his past, but the boy never had. Many details were a mystery to the Dean, but it had never been important enough to inquire openly about. Now he admonished himself for not pushing, if even gently, for Inan's background.

He stood there for many more minutes rolling over this new information and sending his own private prayer that if his sister was coming to Collegium, that she indeed arrive safe and sound.


	2. Chapter 2

Unknown Wars by Lady Fenris

Chapter Two: Dust of War

The desert stretched for miles.

A vast desolate wasteland stretching in every direction, save only for the low tumble of purple hills along one horizon, that were so far away they might have been on the moon for any comfort they gave any inhabitants of this place.

Rain was a bleak prospect, and without water, death was a certain prognosis for any left out in the harsh elements and intense heat. Vast areas of flat, dry rock, and swirling clouds of a chokingly heavy, yellow dust stretched for as far as the eye could see. The sky was colored a pale brown from the smoke emitting from the fire pits: Smokey pits of black tar nestled against the edge of the rocky horizon. The purplish-red cliffs surrounding this wasteland, seemed more perilous the nearer they were. They offered no shade no matter the time of day, nor did they provide shelter from the great howling dust storms.

To an outsider this was the doorstep of hell, but to Marie this was the only home she had ever known. This was her territory, a final refuge for the outcasts of the neighboring Kingdom of Karse. Located several days run to the south of the strict and solitary empire the desert caverns stretched for miles and harbored several families of nomads... well, they had anyway.

Originally these lands had been lush and fertile and had belonged to an ancient king of Rethwellan, but in a decade of extreme drought they had become the desert surrounding Marie on all sides.

Karse had been using these lands as a pit of exile and slow death for all of Karse's outcasts. Thieves and vagabonds, murderers, betrayers, and of course witches. Those who were not hung or set to burn on the public piers were often squirreled away in the night for some delicate political reason, and deposited in this castoff territory where no one would ever look for them. It was a very well kept secret of Karse's highest officials and their beloved Sun Priests.

Most of them died within hours, either from unsure footing, local wildlife, or by their own hands in despair. However the few who survived more than a few days were eventually brought into a clan or nomad group with the understanding that if they caused trouble there would be dire consequences. Life was treacherous out here, and anything that posed a risk to the family group was to be exterminated immediately. That was why most of the clans out here chose the names of predators, to remind themselves of the terms and costs of surviving.

The last few years had been much harder than any before. Karse had discovered the minerals in the caverns that could be mined to add to their greedy wealth. As such they had fought to reclaim the no-mans-lands under their sovereignty.

Marie's people, the Fox Clan, and her neighbors the Wolf Runners, the White Crows, and on the farthest border of Rethwellan lived the Red Wanderers, had united together as they had in the old days to protect their home.

Marie's own mother had been a Red Wanderer, and as an extended member of that family, Marie wore the black and red knot patterned scarf around her waist with pride. Her father had been the General of the Fox Clan, and had trained her to take over the role after his first son had been spirited away by a white horse eight years before.

Details on that account were sketchy at best and seemed quite preposterous. At the time only a few clan members had witnessed it, and there had been a battle going on. When the fury of war had lifted and the enemy destroyed he had not been found among the dead, and no trace of him could be found other than both his sickle blades that looked as though they had been trampled by something quite large.

Marie's father Ivorn, had mourned the loss of his son for many cycles of the full moon, but in the end, he was gone. Marie was left to take care of her father and Clan alone.

Eight years of strategy, of running, of planning, and fighting for their very lives, and now there were only a few members of each clan left standing under one banner.

She looked at the designs of the blue sash she wore over her black and red clad body. The four colors for four clans united to fight the common enemy entwined to form a giant head of a wild dog: Red, for the Wanderers, Black for the Foxes, Ashen Grey for the White Crows, and finally blue for the Wolf Runners.

Marie studied the sash, and felt warmed despite the pre dawn chill that swept across her exposed skin.

They would come with the dawn.

Coming to fight, to die, and to kill.

In the distance carried on the dusty wind was a deep thundering sound that rolled over the flat lands like a kneeing warning of death. Like heavy drum beats beneath the earth, their chant of violence and hate rumbled inside the heads and hearts of every person Marie had sworn she would die protecting.

The battleground was ready, and Marie, as the most wanted member of her clan by the bounty hunters, was the perfect bait.

She stood, a solitary figure on the vast flat plain that seemed to stretch forever. It was a trick of course, only a few sprint lengths behind her was a massive cavernous opening that went down for almost a mile. Unfortunately it didn't span more than ten feet across and was only thirty feet long. Under the cavern rocks and along the edges, her people were clinging to the rock face ready to spring up and fight the soldiers who didn't fall to their deaths.

Marie looked to the sky, the sun would come over the edge of the earth soon, and all the while the thundering hoof beats of horsed soldiers grew louder and louder. A dust cloud had started to form in front of her eyes, a fore warning of the troops arrival.

They were close now, they would be able to see her soon.

The taste of bitter sour bile rose in the back of her throat and she nervously swallowed it down. She closed her eyes to the dust and when she reopened them she went white with the numbers of men coming towards her at lightning speed.

There must have been three thousand soldiers in the classic black amour, and all were riding horses! They must have anticipated the death tolls from the previous battles.

They know this will be our last fight, she thought, forcing her mind to stay focused and not give into the panic in her heart.

Three thousand, against two hundred? Lady Bright protect us, protect my people in their hour of final need.

Marie sent to prayer to the whispering wind and let out a huge wailing cry that hung in the air like a desperate plea. Behind her she heard the soft answer of trills that sounded like the family calls of crows…they were warned on the impending numbers.

On the nearest horizon, the calvary soldiers who were just cresting the invisible hill had seen her and were detouring to her location, only a hundred yards from her position a few badly aimed arrows hit the dirt around her feet.

The next volley would be within range.

Marie turned around sharply and ran for the crevice with everything she had. Her bare feet grabbed the soil and broken stones with vengeance as she stayed a safe distance away from her chasers.

Yes! They had taken the bait and were following her at top speed.

Now came the gamble, if she jumped the cavern would they still follow suit? She had endured this debate with the clan leaders over this detail for hours yesterday, but in the end they felt there was a good chance.

She increased her strides and tried to speed up her sprint, the edge was close, and giving her destination a sharp glance she pushed off the edge in a seamless step and landed heavily on the other side in a frontal roll. She clambered to her feet just in time to avoid being trampled by the first horse that had braved the distance.

A quick look over her shoulder and she saw that the horse had made it, although the rider had not. She saw that many of the first line had fallen like they were supposed to, into the cavern, and subsequently the other soldiers were trying to slow their horses to avoid the fate of their friends.

Marie's people were climbing out of the caverns in droves like angry blood hungry wasps. She quickly ran to a large boulder on her side of the ledge where her sword and belt blades had been stowed before she had tsken her position. Weapons in hand she let out her battle cry of ten years of war experience behind her, eight years of loneliness without her brother, five years without her father, and finally two years of constant funerals and death. All of this came out in one ferocious, startling cry to the heavens as she dashed around the crevice and forward into the mix of dust and blood, the clash of armor, and the will of the Gods.

Shouted orders from Karsian soldiers mixed with the war calls from four different clans, each adding to the chaotic symphony of war. There was no time to think about any of it as Marie dodged a battle-axe and skewered a man in the side with her short blade. She stabbed and sliced, blocked and dodged her way through the mob until she was in the center with the others.

They were out numbered, and everyone knew it.

The leader of the White Crows was already dead, and his second in command was panicking under the pressure, as he tried to call for retreat. Marie saw the soldiers coming over the landscape, more than she had originally thought.

"They mean to obliterate us, we can't win this!" A Wolf Runner screamed over the din, as they each fought their backs pressed together.

"What do we do? Run? Where? How?" Marie screamed back to him.

"Out of here, we're dying too fast, we have to make a break for it."

Marie wasn't a proud person, she had been raised to always do the best for her people before her own emotions took over, and she new he was right. If they had any chance in hell to get out of this alive, they would have to run, and keep on running.

Marie and a small group of nomads cleared a path through the fighting to a small pile of boulders off to one side. She saw that only a mere hundred and sixty had survived in the first few minutes, a startling fact as she was surrounded by the best fighters she had ever known.

She let out the defeat call, as loud as she could, and felt a sense of relief when another of her clan repeated it until the soldiers commands were deafened in the response of the surviving clan members.

How were they going to get out of all this, how could she ensure that they would be able to see her?

Suddenly a flash of white came tumbling into view, a white horse that glowed with an ethereal spirit. Not thinking twice Marie got on its back and pulled the Wolf Runner with her.

On the horse's back all of her clan mates could clearly see her, and began to follow their general. Unfortunately the Karsians could also see her, and were following their defeated foes.

Marie met eyes with the warriors she had known all her life, and they knew what must be done to save their people. Clan members were dropping around them every second, beaten by the impossible odds of five soldiers to each warrior. The young ones had more of a chance to live because they were faster on their feet, the older ones were the better fighters.

A choice was being made.

Marie knew she couldn't join in the fight, she had to protect the young. She was the Clan Mother, the General, the Leader, she must flee with them.

Before Marie could react, as if by magic, she saw the seasoned warriors stay behind to fight the line of Karsian soldiers, while allowing the younger clan members the proper time to escape. It was as though their minds had been one and they had given the most precious gift they could, they had given their lives for their family. As Marie turned away from them in heavy sorrow she thought,

"They will be remembered."

She quickly led the remaining fighters down the side of another cavern that appeared not to exist at all. This path was not so steep as the others and the horse she rode on had little difficulty with the decent. Resting at the bottom they could still hear the battle far above them.

Marie dismounted, and did a quick headcount.

"Seventy three?" the Wolf Runner said to her right, "That's all we have left of the Four Clans?"

"So it seems."

"What do we do now? There isn't another safe hold in the desert that isn't overrun with soldiers, where will we go?"

A boy of fourteen implored of his leader, his face screwed up in fear and the shared burden of survival. He looked so hopeless, but all Marie could offer him was truth.

"That's up to you, I will do what I can to keep you safe, but we cannot stay here any longer, we must find a new home." Marie said wearily.

A few mothers with their children held against them shifted closer to Marie.

"Wherever you go Lady we are with you."

"And you?" Marie asked to the Wolf Runner.

"The Red Wanderers have always had good relations with Rethwellan, I'm to try my luck with that more forgiving country. I'll take whomever wishes to accompany me." He said.

Several hands rose in the shaded light.

As the others coordinated the path they would take through to Rethwellan, Marie turned her attention to her rescuer.

"I don't know if you can understand me, but I must thank you for your role in our escape." She nuzzled against the horse's soft furred muzzle.

"_I understand you perfectly little one"_

Marie blinked.

"_You are my chosen, you will be my Herald and I your Companion."_

Something overtook Marie's senses that could only be described as comfort and she felt the great hole in her heart being healed with a loving presence. As this occurred a vision sprung in the back of her mind and she saw another white spirit horse, almost identical in his features to the being before her, with her brother Inan as its rider.

Understanding melded with acceptance, and tears of joy and stifled confusion filled her eyes. A voice from behind her made her stomp these troubling emotions down, and turn to see her life long friend.

"Where are we going Lady?"

It was Bridget, a woman only a few years older than herself. She was a quiet soul like Marie and would understand what she had to say,

"I go to find my brother."

The woman nodded, and rallied her children to her side. Quickly and quietly they gathered the few meager possessions they had between them, said their good byes to the forty who were headed for Rethwellan and with the hesitation that comes with love, they left the remnants of their home.

"When we are safe, I will send the message." the Wold Runner said cryptically.

"Safety in flight, keep yours alive, and their gift will not have been wasted." Marie said fondly.

The two Generals clasped each other to their hearts and bid each other farewell. Fifty one would go to Rethwellan, and the other twenty two would follow Marie on her quest to find her brother.

Marie wasn't sure where they were going, but her horse-no he had called himself a Companion, and since he could speak to her in her head, as her Father had, she decided he was more than just a horse.

"_What is your name? Or what should I call you?"_ Marie asked in her head.

"_My name is Orestes."_

"_Do you know where we're going?_

"_Yes."_

"_Is it far?"_

"_Yes"_

"_Is it dangerous?"_

"_Maybe"_

The landscape was dry, but the rock cliffs shaded them as they walked along the ravine floor. The small band of travelers walked side by side. Some of them Marie had known all her life, but there were many she had only met a few days prior when they had gotten wind of the impending troops. The Clan of Fox had mostly stayed behind on the battlefield, Bridget and Ana, two friends and mothers of her own clan, their sons Rue and Ash, and five orphaned children were all that were left of her once grand family.

"_Do you mean to take them with you?"_

"_I must, I gave my word I'd protect them."_

"_I see."_

Marie nodded to the others and turned her head in the direction they had left.

It was quiet now, the din had faded but now it was silence. It meant that those whom had stayed were dead, or worse still captured. Marie felt like a coward inside, but she would not break in front of her people, she must be strong for them, this wasn't over. Who knew besides the spirit she was riding what could lay in wait for them, it was already icy at night, and the mornings were slick with the sparkling sheen of frost.

She would have to wait for the maps of the night before she knew which direction they were headed in. Until then she could only put her faith in the white guide under her. After an hour or so she got off the Companion, and hoisted a small group of three children younger than six up into the saddle, so they wouldn't have to walk. The others from the White Crows who hadn't had much exposure to Marie although their leaders had always spoken highly of her, watched her give up her ride for the children and their hearts warmed to her.

"Anyone who cares for our children as her own, is indeed worth listening to." a tall boy named Grune said wisely to his younger brother.

"Agreed."


	3. Chapter 3

Unknown Wars by Lady Fenris

Chapter Three: The Chosen Ride

That night while the oldest of the young men watched over the rest, Marie and Bridget went foraging with Orestes.

"Can you really talk to him in your head?"

"Yes, it's a strange feeling actually. Father could share words like we're talking now, but it cost him energy and so he only did it when he had being and I are sharing more than words, he can sense my emotions and knows instinctively when I need his input or not," Marie clarified to her oldest friend.

"How did he know where you were?"

"Hmm, he says he didn't exactly he just followed his heart, but he knew the general location."

"And now he has to take you to Valdemar?"

"Apparently, that's where Inan has been all this time, he was chosen too."

"Well that story about him being whisked away in the middle of battle by a white spirit horse makes a lot more sense."

The two giggled as they collected what there was to collect. Roots and brown berries were the only things left at this time of year, but thankfully there were a lot of them.

They returned to camp with two large cloth bags full of soil snacks, as her father used to call them. This would feed them for another week, and they were excellent sources of nutrients and energy.

The two women looked no older than seventeen, but they were the eldest of the group. Bridget was nearing the age of twenty-seven, yet her face had remained unchanged over the last few years. It seemed strange to Marie that if there had never been a war in her homeland, she would have been married by now, with a child or two of her own. She looked to Bridget with a small twinge of envy in her heart, Bridget had married, and had produced a beautiful son. Her husband had caught a fever last winter and died, but she still had her son, and she had admitted that while it hurt not having him here with her, she would ever regret having him while she had.

Marie wondered if she would ever feel like that.

It was three days before the troop reached the edge of the desert.

The change in scenery wasn't a blessing. It would be harder to keep warm here because now there were plains of flat dead grass, and no consistent shelter from the frosty wind.

Marie stopped their travel for a day within the shelter of the last bit of stone cavern before the sea of grass began in harsh contrast. Marie, Bridget and Ana took stock of their resources, they would be walking across this stretch for two days before reaching the sparsely wooded territory between Karse and Valdemar. There were seven children amongst them, and they would be the easiest targets for frostbite. Marie shed one of her scarves and Bridget tore a wool towel into pieces that could be wrapped around the children's feet. Sandwiched between the towel scraps and the scarf were twisted bits of grass from the crevices around the opening of the cavern. The twisted grass were bent into ropes that would provide a certain amount of cushioning for the feet and protect them from moisture, which was more deadly than cold alone.

The other issue to combat was food, their stored food would run out in a day or so, which might mean risking being caught if they stayed put long enough to hunt but their options were quite depleted this long after Harvest time.

Deciding to cross that bridge when they reached it, they sat around a banked fire seeking the communal warmth of their bodies.

Orestes had snuggled against the children with his back to the cold, Marie saw it and smiled.

She found sleep only after the others had drifted, and the night creatures had begun their nightly rounds. If anything was amiss there would be no sounds at all, and she could never sleep when it was too quiet.

The next day was clouded over, which would mean it would stay a little warmer as long as it didn't rain. The grass plains were just as Marie had imaged, hard, brittle and cruel. Having children with them made it harder because they couldn't walk as quickly but having them on Orestes made them brace the whipping wind. They formed a clump with the smaller ones walking in the center, and the adults taking turns inside the warmer core.

Even as uncomfortable as they all were by the end of those two days, there had not been so much as a single farm house, or animal that had crossed their sight in all that time. Marie suddenly began to appreciate just how isolated the desert had been from the rest of the Karsian citizens. However something told her in her gut that there was danger lurking, somewhere between here and their destination, and she had a feeling it would come from their backs rather than the front.

On the sixth day of travel the first light snowflakes started falling from the sky. They had been walking in the direction of the tall foothills that would mark their arrival in the territories of Valdemar. When they reached the woods of the foothills it was only one night's travel to the official border. Orestes had told Marie that by day the nobles of Karse hunted the hills and would surely spot them in their wake.

Ana whimpered when she saw the first sign of winter fall before her eyes, she turned scared eyes to Marie.

Marie was aware of the fear within Ana, every year snow came to the desert, but in the desert there were caves to insulate them from the cold, and they always kept stock piles of food for the cold months. Out here in the open, they had no such advantages. They were still a ways from the border, and another fortnight or so to the capital city, but Marie refused to give into her fear.

Marie looked to the horizon, trying to gage how long it would take them to reach the cover of the trees. Then she had an idea.

"_Orestes can you take the younger ones on your back and ride hard into those trees ahead?"_

"_And leave you out here?"_

"_Not for long, if you can manage trips back and forth while we continue to walk it will take less time than all of us walking together.?_

"_Ah, I see where your mind is, yes, that should work."_

It was interesting trying to maneuver six children onto the Companion's back but in the end it was managed. As the first group rode off on Orestes, the others were able to pick up the pace, needing little encouragement as the snow was still falling around them. Two quarter marks later Orestes reappeared to take three boys and their sister off.

This continued until it was just Bridget and Marie walking alone in the now drifts of snow. They were within a sprints distance of the trees and chose to run for the cover of pinewood rather than wait like fools in the open.

The band had regrouped under a bunch of spruce and pine bows that offered the most protection from the snow. Ana, whose family had been woodcutters before they were exiled to the desert took a leather woven rope from her sling bag and quickly tied the mighty branches together where they were the thickest and the bushiest. This made a small tent like cover that would fit five or so people under it. Looking past Ana, Marie saw that a large fallen tree, was blocking the wind's advance from the North side. It had been down for a number of years given the amount of overgrowth around it.

Marie instructed Orestes to dig with his hooves to make a den hole beneath the felled tree. The middle aged boys were sent into the woods for dry kindling and any dry leaves of branches they could locate. Ana was busy tying more branches together, and the smallest children were in charge of making sure that no air was coming through at other points at the base of the felled tree. If there were, they packed the earth Orestes had dug out into the holes.

The boys from the White Crows came back with more leaves than kindling, but insulation warmth was better than fire heat.

With their backs pushed into the embankment of packed earth and leaves, and branches covering their heads, they were able to stay both warm and dry. Ana had spent many a night in the woods as a girl, even in winter, and she remembered what her papa had told her about keeping warm in the snow.

That night the last of the roots and brown berries were consumed, and that was with the adults going hungry. Tomorrow they would need to forage again, and if they were lucky they might be able to track some rabbit.

While Bridget and Ana discussed food and hunting, Marie's ears and mind were focused elsewhere. Beyond the snow and wind, and the occasional crack of a branch under too much ice, she swore she could hear the steps of men. They were still far off, and in no danger of coming across them tonight, but they were there nonetheless, slow and steady and dangerous. Marie felt Orestes nuzzle the side of her neck and she knew he could hear them too.

Early the next morning, Bridget and Ana went off for food, and Marie started a low fire with some dry wood she had managed to cut from the felled tree. The children crowded around her, unsure what they could do to be helpful, she had them recheck the log for air leaks.

"At least occupied littles are safe littles." She said to herself.

"Lady?"

Marie turned to see one of the boys from the White Crows standing to the left of the fire, regrettably she hadn't learned their names yet, well no better time than now.

"What' your name?" she asked,

"Sasha, I need to speak with you,"

"About what exactly?"

"I heard things last night, I'm not sure if you'd believe me?"

"You heard the soldiers steps coming after us."

Although it wasn't a question but the boy nodded. Marie studied him a moment before asking him,

"Who were your parents?"

"I only ever knew my mother, her name was Vivann."

"She was the weather watcher of your clan wasn't she?"

"Yes Lady."

"Then I think it's fair to say her gift of knowing was passed to you, I can hear them too. They must be tracking our footprints, lets hope they haven't involved the demons of the Sun Priests. They won't find us if this snow keeps up, thank the bright ones for small favors. If we walk all night we may get to Valdemar before they catch us."

Sasha nodded once and returned to his small group of friends, who were huddled against one of the dirt embankments.

Marie's mind was busy planning for every scenario while she worked on the fire. When it was hot coals and small blue flames she set a large flat rock on three smaller stones like a tablet over the heat. This way she could still tend to the fire but she would be able to work with the heat only and not the flames.

When Ana and Bridget returned they had dismal faces. Marie feared the worst, that here was no food, however that wasn't the case. It was just that the food to be found in this particular area was some of the foulest tasting they knew.

Ana dumped out the contents of her sling pouch in the soft dirt at Maries feet, revealing several large pine cones, and a couple large strips of a deep red bark. From her pockets, Ana produced white acorns, and seven or eight balls of hard yellow pitch.

Marie looked to Bridget, who thankfully held two snow rabbits in her fist. They were young and fat for winter, they would be good eating, yet she wished she could say the same about the foraged food Ana had brought, still, food was food appreciated.

The rabbits were spit roasted, their hides cleaned and stowed for later. It was cold enough to keep meat cold, but in the face of winter they ate every bit of meat and fat from the bones. The foraged food was packed, and everyone was chewing a small nub of pitch by the time the sun fell.

Tonight they would walk to the border of Valdemar under the cover of darkness.

Tonight they would be safe.

However as they marched on through the snow, Marie and Sasha could hear those steps again, they were closer, much closer than they should have been. Sasha caught the widened eyes of Marie and they both knew their luck was on its way out.


	4. Chapter 4

Unknown Wars Chapter Four: The Faces We Recognize

Inan had walked the entire length of the Collegium over ten times in one morning, much to the consternation of his colleagues. Elcarth and Alberich had watched in concern and silence at their friend's obvious distress.

"His sister should have arrived by now, he thinks?" Alberich murmured to his long time friend. His Valdarmarian still rough even after decades of speaking it.

"Yes, I was thinking so too, the first snows have begun and Orestes left just before frost season."

"He won't even accept an outer coat, he'll get pneumonia at this rate." A new voice said over Elcarth's shoulder.

"I agree, Keren."

Alberich left the other two Heralds and sought out young Inan, hoping his council would be well received. The snow was falling again, and there was a nasty wind picking up the fresh fall. He was used to hard winters after all his years in Karse, and felt no hardship when he removed his own black cloak from his shoulders to place around Inan's.

"Sick you will be, and of no use to her." He said gruffly.

Inan didn't shrug him off, he just continued to stand still as a tree, and his attention fixed on the southern horizon. It had been a fortnight's ride when his own Companion Staive had galloped away with him. Orestes had left some three weeks ago and no one in the guard had reported seeing him in all that time. No matter who tried to comfort him, he was unable to stop thinking that something had happened in route.

The dark man at his back had always understood him better than the others. Both outlanders, they knew how it felt to be different, although Inan had acclimated a little faster than the Weapons-master had.

Their relationship had been a tough one in the beginning. For reasons that had never been entirely clear to Master Alberich, Inan had first set eyes on the Master of the Salle with instant suspicion and extreme caution. Elcarth had tried to talk to the boy about it, but Inan had instantly gone silent and refused to speak of it. In the end, it was time alone, that beat back the walls between them, and allowed them to know each other as Heralds.

Alberich had dealt with such feelings of amnosity before from his students, who despite his chosen status had greeted him with fear and uncertainty as a Karsian. What had happened with Inan had felt different, it had had felt warranted, although Alberich could not place why he should feel that way.

Above them at the large window at the southern balcony of the Collegium, Elcarth's attention was broken away from the two men in the snow, by an out of breath messenger. He took the paper scrap and read hurriedly, before passing it to Keren.

"Gods."

It was all Keren could say when she read the message.

Wasting no time, Elcarth ran in the direction of the Throne room, and Keren ran down the stairs to Alberich and Inan.

At the sound of pounding feet and a slammed door, Inan turned to see Keren running towards him,

"Alberich! There are reports coming in of a squirmish at the Karse-Valdemar border. A small group of refugees were taken in, and just on the other side of grey territory a large troop of soldiers, were chasing them."

"How many soldiers?" Alberich demanded

"One hundred or so."

Inan who hadn't so much as coughed suddenly asked,

"What do these refugees look like?"

"Didn't say, but they definitely came through the woods along the border." Keren replied.

Inan had heard all he needed to, he clutched the cloak Alberich had given him and broke out in a panicked run for Companions Field.

Alberich and Keren had no choice but to run after him.

When they arrived the sight they witnessed was dumbfounding. Staive was hindering Inan's mount by trotting around him, staying outside of range. Inan meanwhile was clearly mind shouting to his Companion, given the wild gestures of his hands.

_"Staive says there is no point in going there, for she is already coming here."_ Kantor's voice cut across the confusion.

"_What do you know of Inan's mind state"._ Alberich answered.

"_He's in panic, not thinking clearly, but Staive says that his sister is in range of Heartbeat."_

"_What does that mean?"_

"_He won't say."_

"Is your Companion saying similar things to you?" Keren asked

"That here we must keep him."

"Yeah, that's it."

Keren strode through the mounting drifts and laid a hand on Inan's shoulder, who promptly calmed and turned to her his face teary and red. There were no words between them, Inan just sighed and let Keren embrace him.

Alberich, knowing that the situation with Inan was stable turned back towards the Collegium. The snow had thankfully stopped falling for the moment, which made his journey across the ground much swifter.

Elcarth was predictably found with the Queen hovering over a map on the grand table. The border that Valdemar shared with Karse was vast and so the maps of it were highly detailed.

Talamir stood directly behind Queen Selenay and was pointing to several wooded locations that the refugees could have come out of. Alberich looked and saw that these were probable locations, but his gut told him that they were the wrong answers. He strode to the map and pointed to the foothills and woods that also bordered Hardon,

"This is where they came from,"

"How do you know this?"

"It makes the most sense, more I will tell you when she comes."

Elcarth exchanged looks with both Selenay and Talamir. The weapons-master had been with them a long time, and the three Heralds had enough faith in him to leave the issue for now. Alberich shared an urgent look with the Monarch's Own, as if asking for his forbearance of the situation.

As it happened they didn't have to wait long, as four Companions whispered the same phrase to their Chosen's, simultaneously.

"_She is here"_

…_.. ….._

There were sounds of commotion and chaos in the main square as the most recent chosen rode fast into the midst of the Collegium. Orestes hadn't stopped at the normal drop off point in front of the Heralds station, no he had gone on and had stopped in front of the main gate leading to the House of Healing. Already some of the senior healers were making their way towards the rider.

Those in the square at the time, had stopped still and watched as the huddled human form on the Companion shuddered. The normally white companion was a sight of fury, with most of his body covered in road dirt. The first Heralds to approach him saw that what they thought was mud, was darker and was to be found only on the back of his neck, and shoulders…it was blood.

Before anyone could reach the pair, Orestes had knelt to the ground and was carefully dislodging his rider out of the saddle. At first the figure simply fell to the icy pavement, and those nearest feared him dead, until with shaky movements and a stiff frame, the rider found his feet and was standing. Orestes stood once again and was allowing his Chosen to lean against his massive body.

Heralds Ylsa, and Jadus were the first to come within ten yards of the new chosen. They couldn't guess the gender, as the figure's head was covered by a thick black scarf that covered the entire upper torso. His garments were mostly black except for a bright red and black entwined pattern cloth that wrapped around his entire lower body and draped across the ground. A single arm could be seen under the wispy veil, and to Jadus's horror he saw that it was covered in the long drips of blood, probably coming from some wound in the shoulders.

Both Heralds rushed forwards to try and help the new Chosen, however they both stopped dead in their tracks when greeted with two blades only inches from their hearts. They hadn't even seen the rider move, yet now they were staring intently at the crusted blood that had dried on the short curved blades before them.

The rider tossed his head to loosen the veil wrapped around his upper half, and with that careful shrug, the front of the cloth gave way to reveal the sharp amber eyes of what appeared to be a seventeen year old girl. Her hair was as red as Mahogany wood, and her skin was pale like a bride moth, but her face was as hard as stone. Her jaw was tight in an effort to hide her pain, and although her eyes were focused on the two in front of her, it was clear that she was both aware of her environment, and battling a kind of fever.

Orestes, in all this time hadn't moved from his supportive stance behind her, and it was shock on Ylsa and Jadus's faces when their Companions told them to step back.

Companions, generally as a rule, did not interfere with the goings on of their chosen, but in this instance it turned out to be a plea from Orestes himself that a distance be maintained between his chosen and the other Heralds.

Gently and slowly, the two stunned Heralds withdrew their steps, and were curious when the girl didn't advance, nor did she lower her weapons.

At this point most of the Senior Heralds in residence were standing in the square ready to intercept the girl. Elcarth and Alberich were staring at the adeptness of this girl's fighting stance. She was obviously hurt and had probably come straight from the fight on the border, for she was covered in old dried blood, and though her arm was steady, she was clearly exhausted.

Alberich could only see her in profile, but there was something familiar about her, something from his life in Karse that rested firmly in the back of his mind, something he could almost see.

His thoughts were interrupted by Inan's appearance with Keren and a few trainees in tow.

Inan was smiling, overjoyed, and worried, which told Alberich that this must be the long awaited sister, yet something was wrong.

Inan had run all the way from Companion's Field when he knew his sister had arrived. He had only one image of her as a twelve-year-old girl, but he was sure he would know her when he saw her. When he reached the square he halted just in time to see the retreating forms of Herald Ylsa and Jadus. What he saw was wonderful, terrifying, and awe-inspiring all at once.

The girl he had envisioned, was nothing like what he beheld now. This woman was as tall as their father had been, and her hair had darkened from his own blond, to his mother's red. However, that wasn't what had caught his attention, nor was it the fact that she had her swords drawn, no, it was something else.

The drape of red and black cloth that hung as a graceful sweep around her battle harden form, and covered her to the ground. As he stared wide-eyed, the black veil fell to the snow to reveal the blue tunic underneath. And finally at her waist, resting on one hip, was the black and silver tipped fox tail of their fathers…the tail of an adult male fox was a symbol of a General's rank.

Inan felt his heart go into his stomach, and his voice cracked a little as a soft strangled cry was lost to the wind. His father was dead, and his sister was the leading General of the Fox Clan? What had happened since he had been gone? Why hadn't see turned the tail over to someone else before she left? It was her duty to appoint someone else if and when she left the clan.

Alberich watched Inan's response with close interest, and to be careful he had already drawn his own short blades in case there was need of them. He involuntarily took several steps past Elcarth when Inan rushed in a kind of quick stealth towards the girl.

Marie felt someone trying to come at her from the side, but she could no longer hold both blades, the pain in her shoulder was making her fingers go numb and she turned to the new threat with her left sword, letting the right one clatter ungracefully to the pavement. As she swung around she saw the dark man coming up on her rear flank, and knew she was at an impasse. She would have to make a decision. She stared blearily down her blade and came face to face with the younger copy of her father's image. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth opened a small fraction, but the rest of her face remained the impenetrable shield.

He was in his twenties now, and he had filled out in muscle and his hair had gotten longer, but his face was as it had always been in her mind. She should have been happy, she had found the last of her family, but there was anger nestled inside that joy too.

He was wearing the white garb of the others.

The others who had white spirits to ride like she.

He was one of them.

He had been here the whole time that she had been in living in squalor while he was here in the splendor of Valdemar. With all of the resources he could have brought to his family's aid, but he had done nothing of the sort. He had stayed, and he had left her, left their father, left their family, and now it was only she, and she was mad at him. No, it was more than that, she was betrayed by him, her blood, her father's favorite, and she could not contain that rage for long.

Inan saw her face crumple a little, and when he saw her grip loosen on her blade he thought she was happy to see him and went to her.

Marie dropped her blade, but went he came near in an attempt to hold her, she pounded his chest with angry fists, and pushed him off and away from her in an outraged howl.

Inan stood startled at the greeting, and then he looked at the arms and gloves of his uniform, they were stained with the crusted dust of blood, only a few drops look fresh. He looked back at his sister who had tears in her eyes, but she was no longer looking at him. Instead her body was twisted around to engage the figure whom had advanced on her rear flank, and now she was looking strangely at Alberich?

Alberich had come within an arm's length of her, and when she had turned, he felt himself pale.

That face, he knew that face! He put away his blade, and when he looked at her eyes he knew she recognized him too. She hesitated only for a moment, and then she bent her head low to her chest.

Alberich returned in kind, before guiding her by gentle gesture into the hands of the Healers. She looked at him again as if she were asking a question, and then followed the men in green when he nodded. He watched her go into the House of Healing and when the door shut behind the entourage he turned back to his fellow Heralds and sighed, this was not going to be easy to explain.


	5. Chapter 5

Unknown Wars Chapter Five: Little Wild Girl

Orestes turned to Herald Albreich and nudged him slightly with his muzzle, before wandering in the direction of the Field hand who would take care of him. He knew his chosen would be looked after in the care of the Karsian man.

For a moment no one moved, but all eyes were trained on the seemingly stoic weapons-master. Alberich in turn was staring at the pavement, and calculating in his head how many people would be asking questions by the time the sun set. It would be better to address most of their concern now, before she was indicted into the circle. To let the other teachers know what to expect of her in the coming days and months.

Not everyone would need to know, just those in leading positions. The queen, of course and Heralds Kyril, Talamir, Elcarth, and the Lord Marshal Herald Hedric. Out of the many teachers, Teren and Ylsa immediately sprang to mind, and Elcarth would want the Herald cronicaller, Herald Myste there as well.

As he raised his head finally to meet the eyes of his peers, he noticed Herald Jadus standing beside Ylsa and nodded to the elderly gentlemen as a kind of welcome to bring himself to this meeting too.

Privately, in the part of his brain that didn't have to do with stately affairs, he was quite shaken with this turn of events. No one could tell on the outside, but he knew and Kantor knew, though he was blocking his Companion from the curtailing memories. Some things were still private, some things wouldn't be believed, some things were more than life…they were godly.

He scanned a tight group of officials until his eyes rested on Selenay. So young, yet her life had unsurped quite a few demons in recent years, and she still stood proud to have survived. She among many others would understand what it was to regret.

Without a word to anyone Alberich motioned for the party of Heralds around Selenay and they adjourned into the Palace. They knew he would explain, but not there in front of all the Collegium. Alberich looked over his shoulder and nodded to Ylsa, who came up to speak to him,

"Ylsa, after I have spoken, you to the girl must go. You must keep away the others, before I speak to her."

"What about Inan?" she asked

"Not Inan even," he said stonily.

The tone he used was one Ylsa had heard before, it meant hard nosed business was at stake.

"I understand."

Ylsa stepped back behind the Weaponsmaster as the group retreated behind the throne room and into a private study that was only utilized for strategy meetings…it was also called the War Room.

Alberich whispered to a page to send for Herald Myste, who had not been in the square.

The doors closed and the guards were sent out through side passages, before Myste arrived looking a bit frazzled.

"Okay, what in blue bloody blazes happened in the courtyard, every Herald from here to Haven proper is whispering about it in the halls!" Myste exclaimed as she entered the room.

"Trust Herald Myste to say what we're all thinking," muttered Elcarth.

"Alberich I believe has something to tell us?" Selenay gestured towards her friend.

Alberich accepted that all eyes would be on him, a thing that except for weapons training in the Salle, he disliked. Instead of answering right away, he walked towards the large, detailed, maps of Karse. He spread the most legible of these out on the center table and used the square woodblocks reserved for troop representation to weight it down at the corners.

He searched his pockets, and dug out the blue and red marbles he had confiscated from two trainees that morning. Holding a blue one he intoned, "Karse" and with the red one he said "Clan folk".

Over the area of the map marked "vyhnanec", which was a large empty plot of landscape that none of the geographers had ever been to because of it's reputation for being a wasteland where nothing lived. Looking in his hand he had fourteen red marbles, and he placed them all in a small dish he took from the tea tray and placed it in the middle of the wasteland. The twenty or so blue marbles he put on the edge of the wasteland then he looked back at the assembled party.

"Vyhnanec, exile it means. It's existence is secret, but know it I do. The Chosen Fox knows it, it is her home, and Inan's." He said heavily.

"How do you know her?" Elcarth asked.

"Met her I, as a young Cadet of Karse, we raided her home,"

As he spoke he moved the blue marbles into the red territory.

"we killed many,"

He took away a little less than half the red marbles and returned them to his pocket.

"We captured her, as a child with other children. Took her to Karse to be raused by the followers of the Sun God."

He looked at Selenay his eyes guilty and sad,

"She escaped, freed others too, though not children…other warriors marked for death. When we returned we fought again, more losses."

Several blues were taken this time, and half the remaining reds.

"She fought me alone, she won."

It was all he said, but he rolled the remaining blue marbles away from the reds, to show their retreat.

Kyril was the first to speak, but when he did his voice was soft.

"She didn't kill you. Why?"

Alberich didn't have a real answer, but he tried to placate the man,

"I know only that she and I understood each other."

"What is she?" Talamir asked

"Clan folk."

"The warrior race" Jadus whispered.

"What?" Elcarth was confused.

"In Bardic there are very old tales of wars, foreign wars fought by 'the warrior race' a stead fast of people, and nomads who live in a vast desert, yet somehow survive. They do not seek to conquer, or steal, they only wish to live, but if crossed they can decimate whole armies. These are only tales, but they go back before Karse was cut from the Rethwellan that was."

"Well I've never heard of them, there isn't a book in our stores, nor parchment that mentions them. What I want to know is if they were so peaceful, how would they even know how to fight, and fight well enough to best the skills of the highly trained Karse Army? Better than that, why would the Karse Army go after them at all if they are so peaceful?"

Alberich knew he would have to answer, but that didn't mean he had to use words. Again he fished around in his pocket and pulled out an artifact that never left his person, a reminder that he could always loose, even to the most unlikely foe, in his case it had been a child. He fingered it in his pocket before withdrawing his hand and setting it smartly on the table.

On the table was a raw crystalline figure of a fox, intricately carved out of a heavy purplish black stone.

Ylsa picked it up with care, and examined its light properties.

"Amethyst, purple quartz crystal"

Alberich nodded and pointed again to the no-mans-land.

"Caverns are in those deserts. Canyons of mining rocks." He said grimly.

"Well that answers the reason for invasion, but why fight them, if they live in Karse, they are citizens aren't they?"

This time it was Talamir who answered, his craggy aged voice cracking with a hint of rage.

"That place is reserved for the exilovy, the exiled, the ones who are cast out of proper Karse society. The ones they can't kill publicly, anyway. What better punishment if death is too good eh'. Drive them to the desert to starve, to die of heat exhaustion, clever." He spat.

"Karse has a pretty wide definition of bad, I mean look at Alberich, burned in a barn for being a witch, but he's one of the best of us. Plus if these people have given us Inan, and this new girl, they can't be all bad?" The Lord Marshal suggested.

"I agree, and I think we should save any more speculation until the girl is ready to talk to us, herself. Alberich do you have anything else you wish to say?" Selenay turned once again to her dark Herald.

"Limited her company should be. Ylsa, myself at first."

"I was going to suggest that you be in charge of her, since obviously she doesn't seem to have an adverse reaction where you're concerned." Selenay explained with a bit of a laugh in her voice.

"Why do you say that?" Myste asked, still not quite in the loop.

"Well she didn't pull a sword on him for example," Elcarth said.

Myste looked taken aback at that, and Elcarth began telling her the full story as the two history enthusiasts exited the room. The Queen dismissed the others as the meeting was now over. Alberich picked up the fox carving from the table and nodded to the Queen before exiting the chamber with Ylsa by his side.

"Sir, how well do you know this girl? From all you said in there I know there's something you're not saying, and I'll bet Selenay knows too."

"We have many an hour before we will see her, come to the Salle."

Ylsa didn't ask any questions, she followed her friend to his quarters, pulled her self a stool close to his oven fire, and awaited the deeper explanation.

Alberich handed her a cup of thinned wine and pulled up a chair across from her,

"We wait for Myste,"

"How do you know she-" Ylsa didn't get to finish her inquiry, as the Herald herself walked through the door, and pulled up a chair next to them.

"Sorry I had to get the story out of Elcarth, he expects me to fill him in on this you know?" she said bluntly.

"I know." Alberich said with a smile.

"Well, what weren't you saying in there luv?

Alberich was glad to have some of the few people who knew him best about him right now, this was a tale he hadn't told anyone since it happened, and that had been years ago, and long before he was chosen.

"Knew I her father, Ivorn his name was. My superior in Karse served under him for a time, legend is what he was called. Until he wouldn't carry out an order of the Sun Priests, banished he became. Went to vyhnanec when I was young. In the first raid I saw him, and he had killed many of my comrades, but I did not dare go after him, I knew I would be dead. What he chose not to do, was good. On that I will not speak.

"When I took his child, he saw, I had killed his hope instead."

Alberich remembered getting behind the small girl as she tried to flee with a group of children that had gotten separated from a larger group. He had been the one to grab her arms as a mate pulled a bag over her and heaved her into a prisoner's cart. He had only looked up for a smattering of moments, but it had been long enough to see the girl's father Ivorn, reach out uselessly for his child.

The look he had witnessed was one of hopelessness and a kind of broken despair that Alberich as a young cadet couldn't know, not then.

"I visited the girl in her new place, talked with her. Learned about her father, as I learned more, I respected more. When I learned she was gone I was happy, unhappy to go back and fight again."

He stopped for a few moments, and took a few sips of his drink, not looking at either of his company, but blankly into the fire. Bending he stoked it before continuing,

"The second fight went badly for Karse, I was pinned, killed many to survive. She saw me and charged. She and I fought, fought more to survive each other than to kill. I was scared of her, a little wild girl. She won, she was the better fighter. She and I saw each other... our souls. She took me away into the canyons far away from the fight.

"I asked her if I to die was, she said 'no, not my duty.'"

"What did she mean?" Ylsa asked in the pause.

"I know not, I asked her how old she was, I thought lying she must be."

"How old was she, to be on a battle field anyway? Ten at least?" Myste supplied.

"Eight summers."

"EIGHT? You jest!" Ylsa exclaimed.

Myste just sat quietly as if the number of seasons didn't surprise her at all.

"Eight and carrying short blades and arrows. I called her untrue child, she said something that haunted me, even now. She said 'children aren't born children here, it is not a luxury we keep'. Other things we said to each other, then she let me go, with this." Alberich said holding up the crystal carving.

"Bright Lady." Ylsa murmured, her cup forgotten although it remained clenched in her hands.

"Eight, you say, so she would be twenty now? That's older than Elcarth was when he was chosen." Myste finally voiced.

"She be a quick study." Ylsa guessed.

Alberich was looking at the candle on the table, and then to the light coming through his colored glass window.

"To her we must go."

As Ylsa donned her cloak once more, Alberich turned to Myste,

"You'll be here later?"

She could only nod and smile meekly at him. Alberich didn't have time to think about that nuance of Myste, for he had to hurry out of the Salle after Ylsa.

Meanwhile in Healer's Collegium several healers were bent over the wounded girl, asking questions, and trying to be as gentle as possible.

Marie thought their care strange and foreign, in her home wounds were dealt with as quickly and safely as possible, neither of those ways were painless, but that was to be expected in war. A woman healer helped her into a bed and was attempting to wash away the dried blood on her face, Marie knew it was because this woman thought she had sustained injuries there, and while she knew it was somewhat cruel to be so blunt she said in almost perfect Valdemarian,

"Don't bother with my face just yet, that isn't my blood."

She cracked a sly smile when the implications of what she had said made the healers around her pause. However when it was clear to everyone that she understood them they wouldn't stop with the questions. Plus it seemed that none of them understood that their questions couldn't be heard over the others. Marie found the whole situation ridiculous and it wasted time she could be sleeping with. So, while holding up her hands for silence, she hopped off the bed and removed her shawl, and two of the wrapped black cloths, revealing her tunic and short pants underneath. The work was tricky because she only had perfect use of one arm, the right had gone totally numb at that point. Not to mention that most of her garments were soaked through with not only hers but her enemies blood as well.

Standing in just the under layer of cloth it was easier to tell what injuries she had sustained, and the healers began working on just those areas.

One of the healer trainees, who hadn't been alive during the time of the last battle turned green when he saw the arrows imbedded in her shoulder, with their shafts broken low to prevent the further loss of blood. There were numerous older wounds that had been treated with stitches, although most of those stitches had pulled free and were soaked in new blood.

At the healer's instruction Marie carefully removed her blue and black tunic and lay on her belly in the bed. She felt her hair being hastily braided to keep it out of the way, as they worked to remove the arrows. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the now grown dark Karsian and one of the white ones whom had advanced on her earlier come into the room. The white one was staring at her but not at her face, she smiled lightly at the dark grown soldier who looked as though he had gone a little pale.

The process was long, and it hurt, oh gods it hurt, but she made sure not to utter anything louder than a few whimpers through tightly clenched teeth. The arrows were lodged in such a way as to prevent safe removal by tugging, and in the end had to be cut out. As they were sewing her up and wrapping the wound and her arm, she had to sit up up, but she didn't really care who saw her front. In her experience, taking the time to be modest was useless, and enough male healers at home had seen her enough times that strange eyes on her no longer bothered her.

Thankfully, healers didn't see a human body sexually at times like this, and not one blush was seen.

Her old clothes were folded next to her and she was given a new set of clothes that were ashen grey. She looked at the old pair with a sad look in her eyes, but she did not wear them. While her wounds had been attended to her clothes had been cleaned and dried. Surprised she looked to the window and realized that was quite late, the sun had set hours ago. She again donned her blue under-tunic, but instead of the dark wraps she reluctantly pulled on the ashen grey suit. From a basket beneath her bed she found her belt, sickle blades and short sword. With a groan and stiff muscles she bent to don her weapons.

A few healers tried to stop her, but Alberich stood between her and them before she could harm them. While he distracted them she reached into the leather pouch and pulled out a bundle of brown berries and a long wild parsnip. She stood munching on these until Alberich led her out of the Healer's wing. She waved to the Senior Healers whom had patched up her shoulder and followed the dark one into a large stone building that read above its door frame, "Herald's Collegium".

He led her through a few winding hallways and up some steps, to a door that had a sheath of paper stuck in it, Marie looked at it and saw the words "Little Wild Girl" written on it.

"That is me then?" she asked.

Alberich almost jumped, he hadn't expected her to say anything, let alone to be able to read anything. He turned to look at her,

"Things changed since you were last in Vyhnanec. Valdemarian isn't the only speech I know."

Alberich stood aside and allowed her to enter what would be her room. A bed, desk, chair, wardrobe, and trunk were the only objects in the room. The room also had a fireplace and a window over the bed that showed a rather nice view of Comanion's feild betyond it. The girl walked around the small space, and turned to look at him.

"You'll want to ask me questions now?"

He shook his head.

"Tomorrow, we will talk you and I, and another. Are you hungry?"

A small shake of her head, and Alberich nodded,

"Rest then, return I will two positions after dawn."

"Sir?" Marie addressed,

"Yes."

"What is your name?"

"Alberich. What is yours?"

"Marie."

"Good night Marie."

….

Alberich returned to the Salle, Myste was still at dinner he surmised, which was good for he was no one's good company. For a long time he stared blankly at the wall of the weapons cage. Suddenly in a moment of pure emotion he picked up a round iron ball used for strength training and hurled it at the wall. The impact chipped the corner of the rough stone in two places and both fell to the floor.

"Feel better?" a voice said from behind him.

Alberich whirled and saw Herald Keren sitting on a hay bail, bent forward with her hands dangling between her knees. He sighed and shook his head, she was one of the few who could be so quiet you'd never know she was there until it was too late.

"Ylsa came in tonight looking a little shaken up, she didn't mean to tell me anything, and with our bond it was inevitable."

"I expected you, but…"

"But not this soon? I figured, otherwise you wouldn't have tried to murder the wall." She half joked.

"Tell no one." He joked back.

"No, I came for a different reason than blackmail. That girl,"

"Marie," he enlightened

"Marie then, she's been through more than just the one recent battle and the ones you remember, by what Ylsa has to say."

Alberich had been thinking the same, and so simply nodded.

"Yet we haven't heard one whiff of this from our spies in Karse, or your unknown contacts, from your reaction it's clear they haven't said anything, am I right?"

"I knew nothing like it." he said solemnly.

"So what I want to know is, what else don't we know about what is happening in Karse?"

"I too want to know this. From the number of scars written in her skin, I wonder if the raids even ended?" Alberich voiced.

"I spoke to Inan, Alberich. Did you know that his Companion also chose him in the middle of a war? He said she was twelve then, four years later and the Karse Army was still-hunting them. I think we can hazard a guess that if these wars continued after that, then they probably didn't stop."

"Did he tell you the meaning of Heartbeat?" he hoped aloud.

"No, I didn't think to ask him, I can find out though."

"Yes, do."

Keren saluted him and left the Salle.

Alberich was out of his daily uniform and lounging in his evening robe when Myste finally showed up.

She didn't say anything, she just let him take her. It wasn't soft, but it was intimate. It was an expression of every emotion he couldn't voice, everything he felt but couldn't acknowledge. She took it all and held him when he had no more energy, when he couldn't do more than breath. She knew how he felt, alone, helpless, and full of things he didn't think anyone would understand. He didn't know it then, but Myste knew exactly what was going on with him, because she too knew more than she was saying.

A/N: Vyhnanec is Czech for "Exile-the act of exile", and exiloy is Czech for "the exiled-plural", and for those of you who think eight is too young to fight in battles, remember that children are seen as threats all the time in war and are targeted as such. So in my story they can fight with the best of them, "we accept the world to which we are born"-The Truman Show


	6. Chapter 6

Unknown Wars Chapter Six: Twelve Winter's Silence

False dawn was glowing on the eastern horizon when Marie lifted her head from the nest of down and wool. Her shoulders were stiff and sore from the Healer's stitches. Carefully she extracted herself from the blankets and began a series of stretches. If she made sure to move and warm up what was sore, she would loose less feeling in them while they healed.

She winced as she tried to lift her arms above her shoulders, and settled for rolling them instead. Turning to her discarded pack she rummaged around in the front pocket until she withdrew a small bundle of willow bark for tea.

Looking around the small area of her fireplace she found a small one serving kettle and everything she would need to start a small fire: kindling, flint, and medium sized logs. She made a small fire and filled the kettle with water from a pitcher she hadn't noticed before.

Setting the kettle on a small hook just inside the fireplace, she turned to the grey uniforms that were laid over her desk chair. The color of morning mist, the uniform proved to be breeches, tunic, and a laced shirt with a wide collar. It was light enough for indoor work, but soft and warm enough to be worn outside in any weather.

The water would take about half an hour to heat, and she could feel her skin crawl with the sweat and oil from a full night's sleep. In the wardrobe she found soap, towels, and a special pair of slippers made of woven grasses. She supposed these were to wear on a slippery wet floor.

No one else should be in the bath right now, and it would be nice to be clean, she thought.

Deciding on the bath, she grabbed what she would need, and headed for the tubs she had seen on the way into the dorms the previous night.

The tub room was warm due to the boilers that were already lit in anticipation of the morning rush. Marie had only seen such luxury in Karse Proper as a child, and even then she had been helping a lady bath, while her bath was a spout under an eave ledge when it rained.

This room held ten tubs and there was a plethora of towels and clothing hooks lining the far back wall.

Marie hung up her change of clothing and towel before tentatively turning a lever to produce the steamy hot water from one of the copper spouts. When the tub was full of warm water she climbed carefully in and began to scrub her skin clean. Too hot water might loosen the stitches in her shoulder, and Marie didn't fancy another trip to the House of Healing because of negligence.

A creak of the heavy door made her freeze in the tub, and sink below the water line as three women, who might have been in their early twenties came in, talking and laughing with each other. One of them noticed her and started.

"Ho there, you're up awfully early. Some one must have warned you about the morning rush?"

The woman was tall like Marie and had a riot of blond hair that fell long down her back. Her shoulders and hips were proportionate and she was as muscular as any warrior woman Marie had ever known…or fought. Her voice was deeper than Marie had expected, but her face held a certain softness that made her feel at ease and Marie nodded slightly.

"You must be the new trainee? What's your name lass? My name is Keren."

"Marie Fox." She said simply but clearly.

She lifted her chin a little. This woman may seem kind, but Marie had learned not to trust too easily, or too quickly.

Keren was surprised at the defensive tilt of the girl's chin. Girl? No, that was the wrong word. This one was only a few years younger than Keren herself. Ylsa had said about seventeen, but Keren knew that Marie must be older than that. For one her body was matured beyond that of a normal seventeen year old, and there was something in her gut that told her the rest.

It was obvious that Marie wouldn't trust blindly even though Keren was a Herald. After everything Alberich had said last night was enough to know why, but it also meant that she would have to work extra hard to get this one to open up. Looking into Marie's face, it was clear to Keren that she was missing something vital to understanding this girl, she only hoped that one day this girl would tell someone.

Keren nodded to the young woman and stepped past her.

As Marie bent back to her washing she bent forward in the tub, affording Keren a clear view of her scarred back.

Keren kept her tongue but she stopped at the sheer number of marked that graced the pale skinned trainee. He said nothing, and remained quiet, with only a soft wave in Marie's direction when she exited the room.

Marie had felt Keren's eye's on her as she left, but refused to think the worst of the woman for her curiosity. After dealing with the Healer's yesterday Marie had understood that injuries like hers were not an every day occurrence as they had been among her own people. She wasn't ashamed of them; every mark was a memory of her fight and triumph of staying alive. If asked she would tell their story, but until then she had no reason to voice them.

The fire had warmed her room in her absence, and she unhooked the kettle from the fire covering her hand in a thick sock. The willow bark lay crushed in the bottom of a small potter's cup. She poured her water and set the tea to steep while she donned her new clothing.

She was pulling on her socks when the mixture had turned the proper milky color. She picked out the pieces of bark and drank the bitter substance down, before straightening her room. Gradually the sharp pain in and around her shoulder's lessened and the headache was gone.

Bright light was streaming into her room through the break in the curtains. Marie perched on her newly made bed and pulled back the charcoal grey cloth from the glass.

Overnight a thick layer of snow had befallen the landscape, and the clear skies would prove the day to be bitterly cold. A faint ghostly howl of the wind rattled the iron frame of her window before pushing past her spans of wall. The upper floors of the building were covered in lathe and plaster that insulated the wood frame and stones from cold heat and moisture.

Marie lifted her pack from the desk chair and pulled a small black leather book form within. This journal had been in her clan-family for years, her father had used it to map out the entire desert, and the territories of the clans around the Fox Clan. Her mother had used it to document the structure of the known languages in and around Karse. Her father's first general after himself, had kept the log of battles and strategies designed for them, a task Marie had taken up after his death. Her brother Inan had mapped out the family alliances going back three generations in the Karsian exiled territories. Marie smiled a little thinking,

At least he hadn't been chosen until he had finished is contribution to the Clan History, as the volume was called.

Marie had rebound the manuscript four times, in order to add more pages to the book. The volume was over three-thumb-lengths thick now, and with a brand new set of pages sewn into the back cover. Taking out a pencil she sat scribbling her estimated location, and the date in her journal, while she waited for Alberich to arrive.

Weapons master Alberich arrived in the girl dorms exactly when he said he would. His presence did not go unnoticed by the inhabitants who nearly jumped out of their skin to se him standing outside their doors, first thing in the morning.

Marie's door was slightly ajar when he arrived. He pushed it open to see her writing furiously in a shabbily bound book that looked like it had seen it's own rough history.

He cleared his throat.

Marie didn't stop writing or look up,

"Come in sir."

"I am not interrupting?" he asked

Marie closed the book and returned it and the pencil to her bag, before uncrossing her legs and looking up at him.

"Good Morning." She said politely

Alberich only nodded, there were many things about this girl that made him uneasy, and he didn't like to feel things he couldn't understand. He observed her silently for a few moments. She was clean and presentable, her room straightened, and she seemed fit for anything.

"I am to take you to Herald Elcarth's office, we have some questions to ask you. But first, I am to ask you whether you would like to see Inan?"

Marie's passive expression turned cold for a brief time, until she lowered her eyes to the floor and shook her head.

"Very well, come then."

Marie went to the wardrobe and pulled on her boots and her oil soaked cloak to keep the chill off, before following the dark man through the hall. His uniform was similar to the other white ones she had seen the previous night, except that his were so dark grey they could have been black. His stride was long and he kept a good pace, but Marie had no trouble keeping up.

Once outside, she could get a better glimpse of him. His face was what she remembered from her childhood, sharp and very much like a hawk, with a steely gaze that could freeze sunshine. His skin was olive and tanned from years of sun and heat. His hair was still the thick black of a crow's wing, and for all that Marie could tell he had aged gracefully. He was taller than he had been of course, and he had filled out muscularly, but she would recognize him anywhere.

She fell into his shadow and matched his gait, with a skilled grace, subtly taking note of everything around her. Out of the corner of her eye she caught various people looking at her strangely, but she had expected that. She was from out of kingdom, technically from Karse, Valdemar's long time enemy. No doubt, they were secretly wondering if she had slaughtered anyone they knew. She shook her head and made a low sigh.

Alberich heard the sound emit from the woman at his side and graced her with a side ways glance. Her eyes were taking in the people around them, and Alberich had also noticed their attentive audience. After yesterday, this girl would draw the attentions of many until more was known about her. She had given quite a performance in this very square, and there would be many who would question her motives, even though she had been chosen.

He, himself, had been subjected to many things from the non-heralds when he had arrived a former Captain of the Karsian Army. Those early years had been hard, and he felt for this young woman, knowing what she had lived through, and what she would face now.

Dean Elcarth had a thousand questions for him, and there were many he couldn't answer, so this morning both men had cleared their docket in order to deal with the mystery of their newest trainee.

Up ahead he saw Elcarth's door open to receive them. He slid to the side making it clear she should enter first.

Marie entered a room unlike any she had ever seen before, it was sparsely furnished and had only one window, but there was a roaring fire off to one side and several lanterns were lit, giving the room a warm glow. However what had caught Marie's attention was the sheer wealth of books, and maps that covered every available surface of the room. Many were open or marked with ribbon, some on shelves, some on chairs and tables, and even a few were stacked on trays that littered the floor behind a hard wood desk. She barely registered the round faced man sitting in the desk chair, as her jaw dropped as she struggled to take in the number of volumes that seemed to loom around her.

Dean Elcarth felt his lips twitch with glee when he saw the awe and wonder in the girl's face while she took in his cluttered office.

Just like her brother, she was flabbergasted by the notion of this many books being in one place. He hoped someone would escort her to the library, if only to catch her when she fainted.

He cleared his throat, to draw her back from her ecstasy. She turned toward him and took the chair he indicated, before taking a moment to scrutinize him.

Like Alberich this man reminded her a bird, but not a predatory one like the Karsian man. This one seemed more playful like a puppy, however she knew just by watching him that if he chose he could bite better than most wolves.

She knew he was appraising her, so she sat as still as stone and waited.

Elcarth was impressed how she didn't seem to be bothered by silence at all, but made a welcoming gesture to break to ice.

"Now milady, I am Herald Elcarth, and this meeting is to help you settle in here, and to answer any questions you may have." He said cheerfully.

"I understand where I am, and what I will be trained to be sir, I do not have questions, but I think that you do."

Elcarth blinked, this woman was quick, and she could see through his distraction tactic that had worked on many students over the years. Normally it relaxed the unsure, and got them to open up. This girl seemed to tense at the idea. Such a reaction worried him. He hadn't had an opportunity to speak in length with Alberich yet; all he knew was what Herald-Chronicler Myste had informed him of over breakfast. Most of what he had heard was startling and he didn't want to jump to any sort of conclusion before he got the full story.

"Yes, both Alberich and myself have questions we'd like to ask you, that is if you do not mind?"

"I do not." She said somewhat shortly.

"I see, well for starters we know you have missed breakfast, would you like anything?" Elcarth offered.

"Light broth and white meat, if you have any?" she said relaxing a little at the thought of a full belly.

Elcarth nodded and rang for a page. When the page left he returned his focus to the red fox across from him.

"How old are you exactly?"

"Twenty one winters this warrior's night."

"Warrior's night? What is that?"

Alberich interjected on her behalf.

"When the knight with the shield enters the night sky, so one month after midwinter."

"Ah, so you are familiar with the stars, and how to read them?"

Marie only nodded once.

"What else are you familiar with?"

Marie was frustrated, she didn't care for vague or broad questions, she preferred specific questions, and although it seemed that the dark man behind her trusted this man, she wasn't about to impart clan secrets to him unless she was sure. So she decided to keep her answers limited to herself.

Elcarth listened intently to what she was and was not saying. He had to give her credit where credit was due, this one knew about interrogation, and was deliberately avoiding any hints of her people. In many instances she would answer only yes or no, with no further explanation. When Elcarth had interviewed her brother Inan all those years ago he had been much more open and revealing in his answers. Something had happened to this woman something that made her cautious of everything around her…except the weapons master.

Discretely he shared a look with Alberich who nodded only once.

The promised food arrived, and the questions halted so each could enjoy their meals.

While they ate Marie took the opportunity to examine the spines of the books around her and found that she could read most of them. They were predominately history texts, with a few journals and maps thrown into the mix of perilously stacked sheets of paper and parchment.

The meat she chewed was unfamiliar to her mouth but its flavor was not unpleasant. She drank the last of her broth as Alberich was addressing her,

"Your brother would like to see you." He said simply.

"I cannot see him."

"Why not?" Elcarth asked gently.

"It is not possible, and I request that you do not push me on this subject." She said stiffly.

Alberich only nodded, and turned back to Elcarth.

"Marie, the healers have enlightened me as to the scars and injuries you had acquired before reaching Haven."

Marie met is eyes stoically, as if to challenge him. Externally she was steeling herself for questions that never came.

"I must ask you, are you feeling any residual pain?"

"Nothing I can't stand sir, the rest will fade in a few days."

"Well there is nothing more I need to ask you at this time, I will post your class schedule to your door by the end of the day. Is there anything you need?"

"No sir, I would like to see my Companion."

"Of course, Alberich, if you would be so kind?"

Marie understood the dismissal and nodded politely to Elcarth before seeking the door.

Outside she waited for Alberich to emerge before they descended the stairs together. Once they reached the ground floor once again he guided her through a smaller side door that led directly to Companion's field.

The air was crisp and the frozen snow crunched underfoot like gravel. Marie felt safe next to the dark clad man and unconsciously began humming a small tune in the still air.

Alberich pretended not to notice her humming, but he was captivated by the ease he felt at listening to it. He could see his Kantor in the distance, and threw his thoughts to him,

"_You seem relaxed in her presence Chosen."_

"_She is a puzzle, I must learn."_

"_Give it time, she is still uncertain of her place here and she will need a friend to listen when she decides to talk."_

"_What do you know?"_

Kantor chuckled

"_Very little, Chosen. Orestes will not spill her secrets, nor should he. However I think to warn you, her feelings towards her brother are very strong, and that Orestes agrees that keeping them apart for a time would not be a bad thing."_

"_She is not happy to see him then?"_

"_She is angry with him, beyond that I do not know."_

Orestes meanwhile had found his chosen and the two were nuzzling noses. Alberich was not expecting her to say anything, and so was startled by her voice.

"Master Elcarth did not ask me about my home, or my people this morning, which would suggest that he already knew."

"He knows some things."

"Because of Inan?"

"And me"

"I see"

She did not look at him, but he could feel her closing herself off.

"He will not tell anyone without your permission."

She did look at him then, but only briefly before turning back to her companion and nodding her acceptance.

"I'm sorry, it is not easy for me to be here. I am unsure what my place in this world is, and it doesn't help that my entrance yesterday involved blades and blood…"

She trailed off, unsure what to say next.

Sensing her unease, Alberich interjected.

"I must leave, I have classes to teach."

Alberich nodded curtly to her and walked briskly towards the Salle.

Marie stood watching him until he turned the corner of a building.

"_He is still as quiet and watchful as I remember him to be."_

"_What you remember of him, and who he is now are two different men chosen."_

"_Only in part. The boy and man have more life experiences now, but the core of the man is the same. Still, observant, careful, strong…"_

"_Are you planning to write a ballad about him love?"_

"I just might someday." She laughed aloud.

"Companions are great teasers aren't they?" a tenor voice said from behind her.

Marie hadn't been properly aware of her surroundings and spun with a gasp in her throat. She saw a man a little older than her with ginger curly hair standing a few yards from her stroking the flanks of his own companion. He wore the white uniform of a full Herald, and Marie felt the need to back up a little until she could feel Orestes solidly behind her.

Feeling his chosen uneasiness he stepped forward and draped his head over her right shoulder, before giving a warning glance to Red.

"Whoa, I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you." He corrected himself feeling her fear.

"It's alright you caught me unaware, it won't happen again."

"Wait, everyone should be able to drop their guard some time, where better but with your Companion? My name is Barkus, but everyone calls me Red, and you are?"

"Marie."

"So you're the new one everyone is talking about then?"

"What are they saying?" she couldn't keep herself from asking.

"That you definitely know how to handle a blade, if the rumors are true. You gave Herald Ylsa quite a turn yesterday, she says that you had a blade at her heart before she even saw you move. It's not many who can surprise a Herald."

"I wasn't sure I could trust her. She and the other were rushing at me, I acted with instinct."

"Well the Heralds and the Herald Trainees will never do you harm, I hope you know that."

"I do now." She said timidly.

"You look a bit older than most of the trainees here." He observed.

"I'll be twenty one in a month."

Red's eyebrows shot up.

"You don't look it, I guessed you about seventeen or so." He confessed.

Marie nodded as though this wasn't new feedback.

A loud bell rang out and Marie turned her head.

"That's the warning bell for kitchen helpers, when the bell rings three times it means the meal is served."

Marie made an "Oh" shape with her mouth.

"Well my companion would like a ride before too long, it was wonderful to meet you, and don't worry you'll fit in just fine here."

Red gave her a small gentlemanly bow and mounted his Companion.

Orestes nudged her shoulder,

"_You see? It's not so terrible making conversation, you should do it more often."_

"_Oh Shush you!"_

Red rode with Jemis towards the grove where Inan was waiting for him. He felt for his friend, the reunion with his sister had not gone as he had hoped, and he had since tried to speak with her three times since last night. Yet every time he had tried, something would come up, or like this morning, when he had waited outside Elcarth's office for her to arrive with Alberich, Herald Ylsa had told him he wasn't to see her yet, and had sent him on an errand for the Council.

Red could understand if Marie wasn't fit to have visitors, or if she was still in the House of Healing, but he had just shared a very nice, if brief conversation with her and she seemed fine. His thoughts were interrupted by Jemis' words,

_"She doesn't want to see him."_

_"What? Why?"_

_"She carries some residual confusion and anger towards Inan. Orestes is convinced that any contact too early in her transition would be disastrous."_

Red was dumfounded, and he got the distinct impression that for all he knew about Inan, that there was something that he didn't know.

When he reached the grove Inan was pacing the ground under the trees that had been left untouched by snow. Nearby his Companion Staive was looking calm and contrite in the wake of Inan's pent up confusion.

"Inan if you don't stop all that stomping around the grass won't grow back in the spring." He joked.

"Well, did you see her? Is she okay? Did she look alright? Do you know why I can't see her?"

Red pitied his friend, no one should be left in the dark like this, no matter what the circumstances were.

"I saw her friend. She seemed recovered, she was up and walking around with Alberich and Orestes for a while. As for why she won't see you, have you asked your companion?"

"All he says is that she won't see me, and I don't understand it." he whined.

"Well Orestes spoke to my Jemis. It seems that she harbors anger towards you, and her companion has advised that the Heralds keep you two apart until she is better adjusted."

He paused before changing his tone,

"Inan? I was wondering something on the ride over here."

"What?"

"Well, to be frank, just exactly what were expecting when you two finally saw each other again? You haven't seen home since you first arrived. No doubt she had to assume you were dead, and then to be faced with your living breathing form after how many years? Well it has to be disorienting. So why were you so certain that she would be happy?"

"Because…well I-I thought…" he trailed off unable to speak as realization settled in.

Gods bright above him! He had been such a fool. Of course she would have assumed his death when he didn't return from the battle, and although he had instinctively known she was still alive all that time, he had had no idea as to the quality of that life. He had expected her to be overjoyed at seeing him, he had expected a lot of things.

He had known there was a chance that she would have been angry, but until that moment he hadn't to think specifically why. He was grieving, their father was dead, and he wanted to grieve with Marie, but he hadn't given any thought to what she herself must have been feeling this whole time.

"I'm such an idiot!" he raged, making Red jump.

"I left her alone for twelve years, of course she doesn't want to see me. How could I have been so blind?" he rasped gripping his head in sorrow.

"Give her some time, she needs to understand more about what being Chosen is, and what she's doing here. Remember how confused you were when you first got here?"

Inan nodded chuckling a bit at the memories.

"Well, she's no doubt just as confused. She'll come around, we Heralds always do. Until then take heart, she's here, she's alive, and she's in good hands."

Red clasped Inan's shoulders and felt the man shudder in his sorrow. This would not be easy for either of them, but damned if he was going to leave Inan to be alone in this. Marie had seemed pretty reasonable when he had met her. Maybe with his help he could get her to open up to her brother, eventually.

Unnoticed by the two Heralds, Jemis and Staive were having a private council with Orestes.

_"He's rather broken about it, but I don't blame the girl for her anger." _Staive observed.

"_She's going to be angry as long as she's confused. In her head she can't understand why he didn't send word, or come back to look for her. He left her alone, and until she squares with that her anger will live._" Orestes explained.

_"Where does Herald Alberich fit into her life?"_ Jemis asked suddenly.

"_Kantor knows something but he isn't saying anything._" Staive interjected

_"And this is news why?"_ Orestes chuckled

"_You know."_

_"Yes, Alberich holds a very specific role in her life, but it won't emerge for some time."_ Orestes said cryptically.

The others seemed to understand in an instant to what Orestes was inferring.

"_Well I suppose after twelve years of silence a little more time won't matter,"_ Staive commented as once again the snow began its silent fall from the otherwise still world.

A/N: By the way, Alberich's role in Marie's life, is not what you think.


	7. Chapter 7

Unknown Wars Chapter Seven: Secret Revelations

Weeks later, Marie stood before a small panel of healers and stretched and bent in odd positions to demonstrate that she was in fact healed and ready for normal weapons practice. Three smiling heads agreed that she was indeed ready for the many bruises, they were sure, that Alberich had to deal to her frame.

Marie thanked them for their work, and bounded out of the House of Healing. She reported to the Salle a few minutes early, so finding a warm spot on the old oak bench, she sat and stared blankly at the dust dancing in the sun light coming through the one window.

Her thoughts traveled to the Heralds, not just the ones she knew, but also the concept of Heralds in general. They were an army of sorts, but also more than that, they were a community a family, a pack.

Yes, pack life was something she could understand.

It was clear that no matter what kind of life each person came from, that if they were chosen they were welcomed into the circle without judgment. That stirred caution within her. It was one thing to give someone a fresh start, but there were people in this life that had done truly terrible things, and had failed to do the right thing.

She should know, she was one of them.

Part of being a General meant doing the things that others could not, for the good of the greater whole. She always knew she would have to make those sacrifices but that didn't make them any easier to bear.

It had been five weeks since she arrived, and in that time she had come to understand a few things. She looked at everything Valdemar had, and more specifically what Karse lacked in comparison. Valdemar's people didn't fear their nobles and royalty, they didn't starve over pointless wars, they didn't have dark ghouls that would slaughter whole families in the night. She could understand how easy it must have been for her brother to come into all of this peace, wealth and happiness, and never look back.

Life in Valdemar was as Marie had never known it could be, and she knew she could be very contented here…if she let herself.

She didn't blame Inan for staying anymore, but neither could she think of him as the sibling she had known. He wasn't the warrior of the family, anymore; he hadn't been there for her when she had really needed him.

She shook her head. No, that was the coward's answer. She knew the real reason she couldn't forgive him, but she wasn't ready to face it, so she pulled it back in her mind and buried it for another time.

Suddenly a change in the flow of air abruptly changed direction on the back of her neck, and she knew someone was in the Salle with her…someone who was stalking her. In one fluid sweep of her eyes she realized she couldn't reach any of the weapons without giving her enemy warning. She shifted forward on the bench so she was little more than perching on the edge with all her weight on her knees. With her head down she saw the shows on the floor shift towards the left of her body. She lunged to the right pulling the bench with her, so that it rotated out and forward cutting in front of her attacker and hitting him directly into his shins. The large body crumpled forward but dropped into a roll and was soon on his feet.

Marie used the time to undo the brace straps under her tunic that held her sickle blades dropping both into her hands. When the body turned to engage her again she was ready.

The body came towards her with a snake's speed in a sweeping lunge, which she blocked easily, and as she swung from her elbow she caught some table dust with her other hand and threw it into his eyes, blinding him momentarily. She rolled away and backed into the shadows under the window, where the incoming light would hide her location for a time.

She saw the body look around for her and move in very careful steps around the room, searching for her location. She knew he would find her once his eyes adjusted to the bright light. She shifted silently against the wall, careful to keep herself to his back as she moved. Her sickle blades in her hands she crept up to him, only to have him hear her feet creak against the wood floor, and spin round to engage her blades with his own.

When Alberich entered his Salle and saw Marie sitting on the bench her back to him, he couldn't resist the opportunity to test her vigilance. Her shoulders had been slumped in relaxation and her head lolled to the side as though she were in deep thought, But when he was almost to her she had surprised him by leaping to the right and causing the bench to swing around and catch his squarely in the shins. He had recovered in time to see that she was armed with both the long sickle blades she had brought with her. She had eluded him for a few minutes, but her feet made soft creaks in the Salle floor, and he knew that she was behind him, no doubt ready to strike. He had spun round just in time to catch her blades in a block.

He hadn't guessed that she still wore them, and nothing had betrayed their presence on her body. But now he was faced with real weapons in experienced hands, and he with only the wooden practice blades.

They stared at each other, and Alberich was sure he caught the amusement in Marie's eyes twinkling at him. She pushed off first, and backed up to the edge of the white, chalk, fighting circle. She bowed lightly with her torso, keeping her eyes on his the entire time.

Alberich understood what it was. She was inviting him to a formal spar. He inclined his own head, and dispensed with the wooden practice blades, and took out his own long daggers, for one on one fighting.

By now the other afternoon students were filing into the Salle. Good let them see this; maybe they will understand the goal better for it. He took in Marie properly for the first time since he entered the Salle. She wasn't wearing the student trainee grays; instead she was wearing a navy blue tunic and the wrap black and red skirt, interesting...

It was not unusual for students to wear alternative clothing for fight lessons, but to see her in the garb of her own people, ready for a real fight told Alberich much.

In the last few weeks Elcarth had been getting reports from her teachers and even some of the other students that Marie had been an avid learner and a hard worker, but that she wasn't as social with the others. She was still withdrawn and cautious around the others, and unless she was asked a question directly she was a generally silent individual.

Marie extendedand lowered her arms to her sides, thus lifting her weapons with their points to the side, ready for an opening move from the weapons master. His own blades were pointed at her shoulders, and she smirked. He would come at her from the front and then dodge to the side at the last instant…Yes she knew this style well.

Alberich waited until all his students were standing against the wall taking in their teacher with the newest student with rapt attention. He knew that since she had delivered the invitation, it was his duty to attack first.

When he finally attacked his moves were as she had anticipated, with a sideways glance swung out from his elbow. She was able to dance around his wiry frame and leap out of range before countering with her own moves, which were blocked, but hastily.

The students, all of whom were in different stages of development watched with awe at the graceful nature of each movement of the two mastery fighters. The girl in red and their feared weapon's master seemed to waltz around each other in a seamless swirl of choreographed steps and turns. Their blades sliced through the air, and swung against their opponents with the clear crisp clash and clang of strong steel. The sunlight coming through the window and the half open door caught the delicately sharp edges of their blades like sun glint sparkles on water, as they continued their deadly dance.

Time had fallen away, and for a time there was nothing but the fight, and the balance of strategy and experience at play between Marie and Alberich. Their moves were in harmony, their styles in perfect contrast, and both of them meant to win, to draw first blood…for the other to admit defeat and to stand down.

But fire will never surrender to fire, and so they continued.

At the back of the captivated throng of students stood two full Heralds who watched the spar with thoughtful and trained eyes. Through mind speak they were able to converse without drawing the attention of the younger ones around them.

_That's the little sister of Inan, then?_

_She said her name is Marie._

_We've known Inan since his first day here, and I never knew his people could fight like that? Did you?_

Red shook his head. He had seen Inan at his first few lessons with Alberich and although he had shown remarkable promise for a youth his age, the girl he now watched was within easy reach of besting their weapons master.

"How long have they been going at it? "

Red heard a trainee ask his friend.

"Almost ten minutes."

_Red, look at their faces, man!_

Red turned his attention from their corresponding movements to their faces. Alberich and Marie were in a locked stare, it seemed as though their bodies were reacting on their own and that their minds were also in some sort of battle with each other. Then he understood.

_Gregory! They're trying to get the other to back down. I wonder if they can beat each other at all?_

"They look like demons." Came a small voice from Red's right.

He looked down at the small boy of nine, and reassured him with the first thing he thought of.

"That's true, but aren't you glad their on our side?" he said with a smirk.

The boy giggled a bit and continued to watch. A formal spar would last as long as it had to, but even he was wondering how long they could go in this kind of brutal blade armed fight.

Inside the sphere of blocked and countered blade swishes, Alberich and Marie were marveling at the other's ability and skills. The fire they saw in each other's eyes was drawing as well as frightening. It was here that they understood the other. In the grey matter behind the flame, Alberich understood with perfect clarity what was going on with his charge, and Marie understood what her role here was, the why and the how suddenly falling into place.

With jarring clarity she knew that Alberich was perhaps one of the few who could read her like an open book, the last thing she wanted. The panic was winning in her stare, and she lunged back from their carefully woven fight, spinning inward towards his chest, and made physical contact with his ribs with her left elbow, making her right side vulnerable. She expected the blow from Alberich, but it didn't come, instead she saw him stumble back and drop one of his swords, only to come at her again with his remaining weapon. She was easily able to ward off his advance but in the instant she could have taken him, she chose instead to run her elbow against his daggers edge causing the smallest of cuts in her skin.

Alberich saw her make the cut, even if no one else was in a position to see it, and blinked in surprise. She dropped her blades to her sides, and bowed to her defeater, before exiting the circle.

Alberich's students clapped and cheered in the background, but neither of the fighters was really listening to it; they simply continued to share a knowing stare with the other.

Alberich motioned her over to the bench so he could address his students.

"Well now that you have seen a formal spar, let's see how you measure up. Four pairs, and Red with me in the circle."

The others clamored to their positions, and soon the Salle was busy with technique training.

Red caught Marie's eye and winked at her, getting a small smile out of her, before she blushed a slight tinge of pink and averted her gaze.

Alberich was engaged with Red for about fifteen minutes before he was able to approach Marie again, he sat on the bench and leaned in to whisper something only she could hear.

The girl's eyes grew a little and she seemed to blanch, but she nodded and gathered her cloak and snow boots in ready to head for Companions field.

Red watched her stilted movements, and wondered what the hawk-like man had said to her. She slipped out of the Salle before he could try to catch her gaze again. He was intrigued more by her movements, now, than he had been during the spar. She was a puzzle that he couldn't put down, but most surprising to him, was that he didn't ever want to. He made mental note to discuss Inan's people with his friend sometime soon.

….

Marie pulled her wool cloak around her shoulders to protect her from the harsh wind as she made her way to Companions Field. When she reached the railing she was greeted by Orestes who knew better than to say anything about her spar with Alberich.

Marie stayed there, in perfect uninterrupted silence until the lunch warning bell rang in her ears. She nuzzled Orestes once more before returning to her rooms to change into her trainee uniform.

Lunch was as it had always been for Marie, she sat where there was room but with no one she knew, or who knew her. She ate quickly and kept her head down. She was quiet but that didn't mean that she didn't listen.

Today the tables filled with the younger trainees and a smattering of Heralds, were talking fervently about the formal spar she had engaged in with Alberich. Somehow she felt her ears and neck burn, although she didn't know what emotion she was feeling. She gulped down another glass of water, before rising from the table. She closed her eyes when she turned to leave the hallway, feeling more than the usual eyes on her frame as she walked, she silently wished she were anywhere else but here. Unbidden the shame she felt at submitting to defeat to someone who had not earned it built up in her chest and then into her eyes. She schooled her face into a hard mask, and took the last few yards out of the hall at an almost run.

Behind her Keren was sharing a very odd chain of expressions with Herald Red, who was relating the morning's events in the Salle to her.

The two Heralds left the hall together with one person in their minds, the only person who might have the answers to their questions…Inan,

Inan was in the library doing some research for his friend and year mate Herald–Chronicler Myste. He was scribbling something furiously with his shoulders looming over three or four texts when Keren and Red found him.

His head lifted when the daylight was blocked by a dark mass to his left.

Keren? What was Keren doing here; didn't she have classes to teach now? Inan thought until he sought his timepiece and realized that it was further into the day then he imagined.

"Hey guys, I swear I'm not working too hard, I will eat today, I just lost track of time, and-" he stopped when he saw their expressions.

"Inan, we need to speak with you right now." Keren urged.

It took a while for Inan to put his books back and send the research to Myste by way of page, before he could follow Keren to the quarters she shared with her life mate Herald Ylsa.

"Alright now what's so urgent that none of us are where we are supposed to be?"

"Inan, your sister is quite a puzzle, and it occurred to most of us, that we don't know much about your people. We know only what you've shared, and what Alberich knows, and the little she says about it when asked. But we, her teachers especially, are totally at a loss for understanding some of the statements she makes or the acts she is capable of." Red said with enthusiasm.

"I don't understand, but I will answer anything you wish to ask if it will help her." He said slowly.

Inan, like his sister had always been tight lipped about where he came from, and what his life had been like before. Part of him didn't know how to explain a life that was as foreign to the life he had here as to a fish breathing out of water.

"Inan, that day she arrived, you knew she was coming, your companion said something about heartbeat distance, what does that mean?" Keren asked.

"When Marie and I were little I could always tell where she was, and if she was okay or not. Our father called it heartbeat distance, he explained that in some cases siblings who share a strong common bond can feel the other's heartbeat in relation to their own. As she grew older the feeling didn't go away. I think she can still feel where I am now, even if she doesn't want to admit it." He laughed lightly. "Is that it?"

"Not really, Inan when you came here, you were a trained fighter, I mean, you still are, but you had specialty training. You impressed the weapons-master, and that is hard to do. Is that kind of training a normal aspect of your home life?" Red asked tentatively.

"Well yes, we all had training in weaponry and fighting from a very young age." Inan said carefully.

"Would you say that most of your people are mastery fighters?" Keren pushed.

"No, not everyone." Inan was getting nervous as to where this chain of questions would eventually lead, but he had promised to answer.

"Who within your people become the best fighters?" Red hedged, feeling the tension growing in Inan's voice.

"Well the soldiers, and Generals I suppose. My father was a General of sorts in our community." He answered.

"What was Marie's role when you left?" Keren asked

Inan was relieved for the change in topic, hoping that they wouldn't ask anymore questions about the fighting aspect of his people he launched into a riotous speech of the role of Caretaker within his family like being a Senior Healer in Haven. His words were descriptive where his previous statements had only skimmed the surface of being acceptable answers.

"If she's a caretaker or healer, why were you suddenly so afraid when you saw her in the court square?" Red interjected into Inan's small epic.

"What do you mean Red?" he queried, silently hoping that Red wasn't trying to get at something he avidly didn't want to discuss.

"I saw your face change in the square Inan, I saw the shock on your face." Red said slowly, not wanting to anger his friend.

"She looked like a seasoned warrior woman, the healers she saw were shocked that she was still standing when they saw her injuries. But to all appearances that hour in the snow, she looked like she was ready to battle us all if need be. You said she's a caretaker, and while I know that the healers can hold their own…how many can pull a blade on two full Heralds without them ever seeing it coming?" Keren extended.

Inan had become very still, he was no longer looking at his friends, instead his eyes were hooded and he stared intently at the knot patterns in the wood grain of the table in front of him.

"Inan?" Red whispered gently but firmly.

"Things in my family are different than they are in Valdemar, life there is not as it is here, and fighting is necessary to our survival. Every man, woman, and child must be able to defend themselves or they will not live very long."

"Alright, but why was your reaction to seeing her so, I don't know how to describe it really," Keren tried.

"Extreme?" Red provided.

"I didn't know that my father had died until that instant, I was in shock, surely you can understand how something like that would feel?" he said in a low edgy voice.

"I don't understand, how did you know he had died just by looking at her, you couldn't have seen her face from your angle?" Keren was very confused.

Inan pushed himself away from the chair he had occupied and now stood stiffly in front of the hearth, his hands pressed against the mantel. He didn't want to go here, he didn't want them to know, but then he didn't want to know either. He longed to keep his emotions at bay until he was alone, away from prying eyes. Part of him wanted to yell at them and say it was none of their business, and part of him wanted to spill all, but he was so tired.

"Inan, your sister, is more than a healer, she is a Mastery level fighter. She and Alberich engaged in a formal spar this morning." Red explained.

Inan's head came up and he turned to Red. His eyes were barely slits as he forced the tears away. He looked at his friend, wishing he had heard wrong.

"Are you sure?" he asked disbelievingly.

"I saw it with my own eyes, as did Gregory and a handful of trainees. They fought to the best of their ability for over ten minutes. It was the most beautiful and yet terrifying thing I'd ever seen. Inan, Marie's movements were more than training, so much more than seasoned ability."

Red stopped speaking when he realized that his friend was pacing before the hearth, his fists tightly clenched across his chest.

Inan looked at him when he stopped talking; silently urging him to speak the rest of what he was sure there was to say.

"The thing that really caught me off guard, neither she nor Alberich never looked anywhere but into each other's eyes. It was as if their fight was a choreographed dance, to which each step was anticipated and expected. Their bodies seemed to react naturally to the other, it was eerie to realize that each of them fighting at their best wasn't enough for one to win over the other."

"Who won?"

Red was surprised to hear Keren's voice.

"Well Marie was the one to drop her swords, and retreat from the circle, but I'd bet my best books, that neither either won or lost."

"What makes you think that; Formal spars are supposed to go on as long as they have to?" Inan asked.

"I think she took a deliberate cut. I can't be sure, but there was a moment when Alberich could have taken her, but didn't, and there was a very obvious moment when she could have taken him, but seconds later she was admitting defeat, it was all very odd."

"It sounds like there's more going on with those two, than we may ever be privy to." Keren edged around a guess.

Inan however had taken his former seat, and was leaning forward his head in his hands.

Keren reached out to him and squeezed his shoulders. When Inan turned his face to hers, she saw the only tears she had ever seen gracing his eyes and sliding down his cheeks.

"What is it?" she asked gently.

"My sister Marie, she has a very good reason to be angry with me if what I suspect is in fact true." He said hoarsely, "When I envisioned her I thought I would see her in the black shrouds of a caretaker, and that she might have one or two visible blades on her belt at most. What I saw in the square was something entirely different, what I saw sealed it in stone that the home I left, in all actuality, probably no longer exists."

The three friends sat there for the rest of the afternoon listening to Inan speak about what he had never shared with another human soul since being chosen. It took hours, and when Inan left for his bed later in the evening, Red and Keren were still at a total loss.

Ylsa came in a few minutes after that, and was greeted by a rather somber looking pair. She knew better than to probe Keren when she looked like that, she kissed the top of Keren golden head and went into their shared bedroom.

Red stood and hugged Keren mightily, for he found that words, which were normally his forte, had abandoned him to oblivion. He nodded to her and took his leave.

As he walked down the hallway he caught sight of something very curious. Marie was standing on the gabled roof of one of the high buildings across the way from the window where he stood. She was perched there in the face of a very strong wind, yet she was steady in her footing, and was still as stone as she looked down into the courtyard. Red followed the angle of her head and saw Inan standing still and tall as a tree looking up to his sister. Neither said anything, nor waved to the other, nor moved at all.

They stood like that until Marie seemed to heave a sigh within her chest and she turned, and disappeared over the side of the building. Red looked to Inan to see if he would seek her out on the other side, but to his surprise Inan had turned to walk in the opposite direction.

For all that Inan had answered that day, so many more questions had arisen in Red's mind, that he was sure only Marie would be able to answer. He knew he wouldn't be able to ask her, until their friendship had grown on them, and even then he was unsure if he had any right. Red finally turned from the window to seek his own bed.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't see the Weaponsmaster emerge from the dusky shadows not four feet from his previous position in front of the window. He waited until the other Herald could be heard on the stone stairs before he went to the window pane and looked out just in time to see Marie stop at the unglazed window in the adjacent building. She nodded to him before passing on.

Alberich's thoughts of that morning had plagued him all day, she should have beaten him, but she had taken a deliberate cut in order to end the fight. He couldn't deny that he was prepared to extend his resources further than he had, but her act was still an act of cowardice. Something he had seen in her eyes had haunted him for the rest of the day. She was afraid, but not of him, she was afraid of something larger and intangible.

He couldn't explain what drove him to be close to her, she was a student, not that he would be able to teach her anything in his Salle. She was by rights his match, but it was more than that. She understood things about him that he had feared no one else could ever understand. She knew about battle, about loss, about guilt and grief, and about choices. Although she had never said as much, he knew that was the core that both connected them and separated them from the rest.

It had been so long since he had felt so comfortable with another. He had Myste, but it was different with Marie, more complete. And yet, he didn't know how to describe his feelings about the matter. Feelings in general had been hard for him to express, but for her he thought he might have to find the words.

A/N: I still maintain that the roles held between Marie and Alberich is not what you think. Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Unknown Wars Chapter Eight: A Dance to the Dead

In the courtyards, most of the Companions were winter saddled to take their Chosen's to their holiday destinations. Even Inan was leaving, to spend Yuletide with Red's family. They wouldn't be going far, Red's family lived only a few hours outside of Haven, but it still meant that Marie would be alone this winter. She watched the last of them disappear past the gates and down the streets, with a tinge of regret.

She shoved those thoughts aside; it was her own doing that she hadn't made any friends who might have asked her. Besides, while the nobles and the servants alike, would be celebrating the rejuvenation of the season with drink and merriment, Marie had other rituals in mind.

She had spent weeks planning her ritual for the shortest day of the calendar year.

Midwinter had come with soft snow flurries that had covered the streets in a soft, light, blanket of powder and that very afternoon Marie had rummaged through her wardrobe until she found the wide hide of black leather she had been hoarding. During one of her first weeks of residence, she had used the stipend given to her by Elcarth to visit the local leather workers. Her trainee stipend along with the value of one or two of her amethyst beads, had won her a lightweight deerskin, dyed black and a set of leather working tools.

In her spare time she had been constructing a ceremonial set of Caretaker's robes.

In the Fox Clan, the Caretakers of the tribe were like the Herald's Healers, except in one glaring difference. It was the Caretaker's responsibility to release the souls of the dead every winter during the ritual of Death's Fire. She had been a trained Caretaker for years before she was a General. When her father had died, he had left their people in her care, but it was not a role that she was native to.

Since the days of the last battle, she had been carrying the names of her dead with her. She felt their burden in her sorrow, and their strength in her soul. She would never understand the people who buried their dead but didn't keep their strength, and instead chose to leave them in the past. She would carry her people, living and dead with her for the rest of her days, they were her source of never ending courage. This ritual was not about forgetting or leaving…it was about accepting and allowing grief to take its course.

She laid out the finished pieces on the floor of her room. There were two long gloves that would cover most of her arms; a pair of thin leather boots that would keep the snow out; and a bodice to protect her torso from the flame. With simple unbleached thread she had stitched her family crest into each piece, so that the emblem was stark white against the black leather. She would wear her black and red wrap skirt, and her black shroud over the rest of her.

From within the unused leather she pulled two long whip cords that each held a heavy cast iron shaft at their ends. She held them in her hand and closed her eyes reverently as she prayed a silent prayer for endurance.

She looked up from her position on the floor to the small mirror that hung on the wall. The woman she saw there looked far more sure of herself than Marie herself felt. Her red hair was tangled around her shoulders, and her skin was pale like lilies in the haunted afternoon light. Methodically she brushed her fire colored locks until they were smooth tresses she could then thread into four braids; two at the front of her head and two at the back to symbolize the four seasons of the cycle. She bound them together at the longest lengths of her treads, with a tight black cord.

Marie donned each of her garments without sound or pause, but as she reached for her silver tipped black foxtail she saw her hands shaking.

_Father, lend me your strength to give peace to our family._

Taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves she threaded the ties around the knots keeping her skirt in place. Lastly she took up the long whipcords and secured them in her belt. Turning once more to the polished silver mirror she beheld herself, as a symbol of her great ancestors. Over all of her work, she wrapped her long gauze-like shroud over her head and around her body.

Even though no one was in the dorm with her, she couldn't go through the Heralds halls dressed as she was, so instead she turned to her window. With practiced grace she climbed backwards out of the window, gripping the ledge before finding her footing on the stones of the wall.

She laughed a little when she realized that any guard would think her an assassin or a thief if they saw her.

_Don't worry love, the guards are looking elsewhere._

_Orestes, my friend. Have you found the place?_

_I have my chosen, so long as you don't mind not leaving the grounds._

_I trust you my friend._

_As it should be my dear._

Marie climbed easily down the long river stone wall, and jumped the final yards into a high drift. She shook the snow from her shoulders shivering as some of the ice slid down her back.

Orestes was waiting not far from her, but without saddle. It was all to the better of the ritual, that her Companion not wear anything man made. Marie climbed onto his back without comment, and the two of them rode in the direction of the Crown Meadow.

The Crown Meadow was a riot of wild flowers in the summer, but now it was only one of the snow covered gardens in back of the Palace grounds, that many of the trainees used for winter sport. The fresh snows of the previous night had covered any traces of touch of the previous weeks, or the past few hours.

In the west, the sun was covered by the clouds resting on the horizon, and the twilight sky already held a smattering of stars. In the distance Marie could see the torches and candles lit in the Palace in preparation or the night's merriment, but Orestes wouldn't have chosen this site, if their festivities could reach her ears.

She dismounted where Orestes stopped and began to prepare for her ritual.

….

Keren had been feeling uneasy all day, although she had no idea why. She didn't have foresight, but she knew that something was going on. She had been able to quell her mind until just after the noonday meal. Unable to understand how or why she made her way to Marie's room, which was only a few floors beneath her own.

The door was slightly ajar, and Keren felt a strong draft from within.

Strange, she thought as she eased the door open. Marie was nowhere to be found, but her window was open and from the amount of snow covering the pillow beneath it, she hadn't been gone more than an hour.

Her puzzlement grew, when she looked towards the desk and saw Marie's sickle blades lying there. Her eyes went wide. Marie never went anywhere, even to class, without her sickle blades. It was the one thing everyone knew with certainty, and Keren felt a tight knot growing in her stomach.

After closing the window, she left the room and was halfway down the stairs when Teren met her round the corner.

"Keren? What-?"

"Have you seen Marie?"

"Funny you should mention that, I saw her ride away on Orestes not ten minutes ago."

"In which direction?"

"Oddly enough they were headed towards Crown Meadow, but it's much too late for a ride, especially in this cold. What's got you so tense sis?"

"She didn't take her sickles with her."

"Huh, well maybe she's learning that she can do without them?" Teren suggested with a soft hope in his voice.

"Maybe, but something tells me that she would take them under normal circumstance."

"Well if you like we can ride out to the meadow and check on her? We have some time before the feast." Teren said.

Between the two of them, he had always been the calmer of the two siblings, a steady voice of reason for Keren's wild temperament. He led his sister out to the field where their Companions were waiting expectantly. If Teren could have sworn, he would have been sure that the two white creatures were laughing at them in their worry.

Kantor stood off to the side with a knowing look resting in his eyes, he was not so amused.

_Chosen_

_Kantor?_

_The young fox is in Crown Meadow._

_Why is she in this cold?_

_Orestes says she has a purpose. The fair twins are worried for her._

_I see._

_So you will go to her?_

Alberich had been standing in the grand hall, next to the Queen who was welcoming her noble subjects to the Yule Feast. Kantor's voice in his mind hadn't shown on his face, except for one small blink. He was supposed to stay by the queen's side tonight, but if she was in Crown Meadow, then he might be able to catch a glimpse of her through the main arch window.

"Majesty? It is a clear night tonight, perhaps if we go to the window we can see some stars?" he spoke to the Queen in a public voice.

Selenay who had been having her own conversation with her Companion, nodded at Alberich's tactic.

Alberich smiled and thanked the bright gods that she was intelligent although she was young.

As Alberich neared the window he could only barely make out the glowing white shape of what he assumed was Orestes, against the darkening landscape, and near to him stood Marie, a shrouded figure who held a glimmer of fire too large to be a candle or torch.

Selenay looked to the light, and then to Alberich's face, she called for one of the guards, and gave instructions for another to act as her guard tonight, and then she signaled to Elcarth who was standing at the far door.

Elcarth saw the small discrete hand of the Queen reach up and adjust her crown, a sign between them in public to come to her side. He ended his polite conversation with Lord Orthallen, and made his way to Selenay's side.

"Majesty?"

"You and Alberich have something to take care of in Crown Meadow this evening, as such you are both relieved." She said softly.

Elcarth looked about and saw that Heralds Ylsa and Jereth had taken over his and Alberich's posts, before taking the Weapons-master by the elbow and exiting through one of the side doors.

Once they were outside and climbing onto their Companions, Elcarth regarded Alberich.

"I have stayed out of this matter between Marie and her brother, and I have not questioned the matter between Marie and yourself, but if she freezes to death out here, I will regret such actions."

"I do not believe she is out here to harm herself, if she were Orestes would have sent the alarm. Kantor says she has purpose to be out there, but I know not what it is." He said solemnly.

Elcarth could only nod, as they rode away.

.….

The sky was the darker mother that bore the hue of Orestes' eyes. The inky depths were punctured by thousands of thousands tiny windows that held the glory of heaven behind them. Marie gazed up at them as if she were trying to find her lost loved ones in their twinkling essence. Sighing she brought her eyes back to the shadowed landscape, and to the tools she carried in her hands.

Walking away from Orestes who would act as her guard while she worked, she stepped into the snowdrifts and made her way to a flat piece of land. Walking against the chime of a clock she made a wide circle in the snow with her footprints.

One step for each of her fallen.

When she was done, she had formed a circle that was wide enough to fit one hundred men shoulder to shoulder through its center. From the pocket of her skirt she took a simple flint and strike stone. Hitting them together she was able to catch the corner of her shroud with the spark. The spark smoldered and finally caught a slow creeping flame against the black fabric.

Her shawl had been woven from some very special fibers that had been treated to burn very slowly, although when ignited they burned a rather bright white. In previous rituals, in her desert homeland, it had been said that the light could reach for miles in even the darkest of nights.

She unwrapped her shawl from her shoulders and held it arms length. There was only one thing that would make the shawl burn…movement.

Marie breathed in the smoke wafting in front of her nose, as if accepting a gift. In the back of her mind, she opened the box of her memories, and retrieved her dead.

She could hear the drums, bellowing deeply within the caves of her home, and echoing off the tall cliffs of her land, and reverberating in the chanting voices of her people. She could feel the vibrations of the rumbling caused by hundreds of drums and dancers moving as a single body. She could feel the memory of her celebration fires, and taste the herbs and spices of ritual drink.

Her body began to move in the time of those long ago drums, her feet turned and worked with the snow beneath them as though it were the yellow and red sands of home. Her torso twirled as her arms and hands flowed behind her like leaves on the wind. She gave herself to her memories, and became the spirit of all her family.

Orestes watched his chosen with reverence, as in the corner of his eye he noted the arrival of the fair-haired twins, who had enough sense not to step beyond his position. And to the South, he could see Kantor carrying Alberich, while Elcarth was only hairs behind them. He hoped they would listen to their Companions and not interfere, but then something from the East, in the direction of town caught his eye. He turned his head to see Staive and Inan quickly approaching. He was not supposed to be here tonight, he was supposed to be with his friend. Orestes turned back to his chosen, wondering if he should block Staive's advance, but then he stopped as Inan dismounted and ran to the edge of his sister's circle.

Those assembled already blinked as they took in Herald Inan's changed appearance. Like Marie, he was wearing cloth similar to that which he had arrived in Haven wearing, when he was chosen. His chest was bare and he wore black leather breeches and boots, around his shoulders he wore a thick woven braid of light medium and dark blue silk. The corded braid wrapped around his torso at a diagonal like a sash, and he wore similar long gloves like Marie, but his had no fingers. His long hair was tied into a simple tail down his back, and under his left arm he carried a small drum that looked like it had been carved out of an old stump.

He made no motion to enter the circle, but instead crouched in the snow his head bent, but his eyes on the dark figure a hundred paces from him.

Marie was unaware of those who surrounded her, so emersed in her dance for the fallen.

The drumming was speeding up now and her shawl was all but ash in her hands. She let it fall to the ground and taking the whipcords in her hands she lit the shafts with the flames that had engulfed her shawl, and now she twirled the flaming cords around her in graceful sweeps. Each coming so close to its twin but never touching, they spun and twisted and licked the crisp air around her as her body moved to the beat of forgotten drums and her voice sang in tune with invisible faces and names. Her voice called her battle cry, a trill of bird song notes as high as she could reach as loud as she could muster without her throat freezing. Her cry sent to the heavens, embodied all the pain and loss and sorrow, and guilt and emptiness she had been carrying, but hadn't until this moment voiced.

Alberich felt his senses overwrought with sympathy and shared pain, as he remembered everyone he had ever lost in battle. His eyes stung and his heart clenched, mostly for her, that she felt alone in her burden.

The others were also caught in similar stretched of memory and mourning, until the soft steady drumming started. Their thoughts interrupted they looked to Inan who had remained motionless this entire time. Now he was in the circle, beating on his drum, and approaching his sister, who had turned towards him still twirling her ropes above her head.

Each drumbeat fell into step with their heartbeats, and finally their feet followed. Marie left the center of the circle to walk the outer edge, and Inan entered the center where she had been. Once he stood in the spot she had left his drumbeats became rhythmic and patterned, and much quicker than before.

Marie had let the whip chains drop to the snow and trail behind her. Where the whip had touched the snow, a small trail of fire followed her until the whole circle was burning through the ice to the soil below, where upon meeting with the earth extinguished.

The moment the flames went out Inan's drumming stopped.

Marie didn't move, but their spectators could see that her shoulders shook.

Inan didn't move at all, to Alberich's dismay he continued to sit in the snow. He couldn't understand what was keeping him from comforting his sibling but Alberich knew he wouldn't leave her like that. He dismounted and strode to Marie's position, without words he put his arms around her just in time for her to crumple against him her cries unable to stay silent a second more.

Teren broke from his wonderment, and removed his cloak and quickly running to the remaining sibling and tossing it around inan's shoulders. Keren was soon at their sides helping Inan to rise.

"Why didn't you go to her?"

"She doesn't know me."

"You are her brother, she is obviously grieving, and you should be at her side."

Inan shook his head sadly.

"Her brother died, I am Herald Inan Fox, she would not accept the help of a stranger, and so it was not my place."

Elcarth had come to their sides after send Alberich back to the Collegiums with Marie.

"Tomorrow, you will explain exactly what you mean by that Herald, but for now you will go take a warm bath, and eat a meal before you sleep this cold off." He said sternly, motioning for Teren to take charge of him.

Elcarth turned his eyes to Herald Keren who had shifted to watch Alberich ride off with the girl.

"Keren, you will also be at that meeting, and any one else who can explain to me what I've been missing for the past month. Good Night."

Keren nodded in understanding, Elcarth was angry. She had seen him angry before, but it had never been directed at her before. No, she corrected herself, he wasn't angry with her, or any of them, really…he just hated not knowing the whole story.

Well he doesn't have long to wait, she said to herself before leaving for the Collegiums, but not before she took the articles that the Fox siblings had left.


	9. Chapter 9

Unknown Wars Chapter Nine: A Turning Point

The next morning Elcarth's sitting room was cramped and stuffy, but it was far more comfortable than his office would have been with the same amount of people.

Keren and Teren were sitting on either side of their grandfather Talamir, who had grabbed the only semi-comfortable chair by groaning of weary bones and aching muscles. Teren had grinned at his grandsir's tactic, for he knew that the old man could take any of them down in an instant.

Leaning against the window were Heralds Inan, Red, Ylsa and Herald Chronicler Myste. Elcarth was standing beside Talamir with his arms folded tightly over his chest, and looking anxiously at his timepiece. He wasn't sitting in his own comfortable chair, because the Queen was sitting in it instead.

Selenay's interest in the Fox Girl, as she had come to be known as by the court gossips, had been roused when the rumors spread of her spar with Alberich. Now she waited with her Heralds for the weapons-master and Marie to arrive.

No one had seen either of them since the previous night, but Keren knew that Marie hadn't returned to her own room. This curious detail she was keeping to herself until she could confront Alberich in private.

Finally, the door opened and admitted the last of the meeting into the tightly packed room. Alberich leaned against the doorframe and allowed Marie to slide past him and take the stool in front of Selenay.

Marie kept her head down and her eyes on her own shoes, until Elcarth began to speak, but even then she didn't look anyone in the eyes.

"Now that we are all assembled I want to wish you all a happy Yuletide, although this isn't how I expected to be spending it." He muttered. "It seems to me that each of you knows something different about this trainee, and that there had been a lot of discussion between you about her. However, I wonder how many of you ever asked Marie about any of your theories, or have spoken directly to her at all?"

Marie was surprised by the direction of his words and looked up at him from her seat, but his eyes weren't on her. They seemed to be staring down everyone else in the room besides the Queen's Own, and the Royal Lady herself. As Marie brought her eyes full circle around the room, she noticed that Elcarth was indeed looking at her now.

"Further, I normally do not press the trainees to speak to me if they are not comfortable, but in your case, Miss Fox, I now feel the compulsion to ask you more questions than I think you can answer."

Marie was holding his gaze steadily, but it lacked the fierce defensiveness of their earlier meetings, and Elcarth felt as though a mask had been discarded during the night, and he was now in the presence of the real woman, Marie Fox. Now that he had a moment to pause he noted that she wasn't wearing her own trainee issue cloak, but the dark shadowy wool garment that was draped on her shoulders was the weapons-master's. A sideways glance at his long time friend, and Elcarth knew that there was more between them than met the eye. He didn't have to worry about his teacher crossing the boundaries of authority with his charge, but he was definitely curious to see what would come after she got her Whites.

Talamir who could have been reading his thoughts were he not a Herald, looked at Elcarth's curious eyes and smiled knowingly and shook his head at the Dean. He knew something, but then he always knew something that the rest didn't…the old coot.

Elcarth's attention was brought back to the center of the room when Selenay spoke,

"Marie, your teachers all say that you are smart and hard working, and that your knowledge of navigation, tactics, and languages are impressive. Yet, they all tell me that you have not ventured to befriend any of your year mates. Why do you not trust us?" she coaxed.

Marie blinked; she hadn't thought that her actions could be perceived this way.

"Majesty, -"

"Selenay in the company of Heralds, and Heralds to be."

Marie nodded before continuing.

"Selenay then, if your words were true, I would have left a long time ago. This world is very different, almost unreal to me. I do not know how to live here, when what I came from was so clear and straight forward, and everything here is nebulous."

"How so?" Talamir asked from her right.

Marie looked at Alberich, who's expression betrayed nothing, before breathing deeply,

"My whole life I was taught that those in control of the greater landscape cared not for me or my father's people. I was taught never to give trust blindly, it must be earned. You who dwell in Valdemar have a limited view of the world and are blind to its darkness. I do not mean that you have never known strife, or that you are ignorant to the dangers of power, Majesty, but your people are. You guard and take care of your people, and in my own country it is not the same."

"Where are you from exactly?" Elcarth was asking now.

Marie rose from the stool and went to the bookshelf. She lifted the largest volume from the bottom shelf, and carried it to Elcarth's table. It was _The Maps of the Known World,_ and she knew exactly which page she needed. In the middle of a chapter dedicated to Karse she pointed with one finger to the South Eastern corner of the map, where the mountains met a span of flat plains…or what was drawn as plains.

"Here, for about nine days run, there lies a great canyon of desert and rock. It is an unforgiving landscape of harsh winds and very little water. For over a thousand years the clans have lived within these lands and those like them across Karse and Rethwellan. For two generations my father's family has been living there amongst them. Their numbers were counted in the hundreds, until recently."

"What happened?"

Marie turned her head towards Herald Inan, she gave him a piteous look before answering him.

"When I was eight the first drove of Karsian soldiers came to eradicate us, they came because some travelers that had come through our territory had told the soldiers of the purple and rose crystals that grew in our caves. They came in small numbers, and were killed, and then when the stories were proven true, Karse sent more to get rid of the resistence. That was when I first met him."

Marie pointed at Alberich, who was still leaning gently against the doorframe.

"He was a young foot soldier then, but he fought very well. I was taken by the soldiers, and kept in a house as a servant for a little under a year. There were many of us captured, and we had no wish to stay. A friend of mine, older than me of course, he was able to smuggle some of us out and sent us back to my father in the desert. The soldiers came after us intent to bring back their runaway slaves. We killed most of them, we spared only a few,"

Marie's eyes met Alberich's and she saw them glisten and then return to their hard quality.

"My father and brother were convinced that the greed of Karse would try to overrun us again, they were right. They came back periodically over the years, trying to mine in our caves, and killing those they came across. Once and a while foreign bounty hunters would try their hand at capturing those of us with prices on our heads.

"I lost my brother when I was twelve, he disappeared from the battle field, some say his spirit was carried away on the back of a white horse. My father and I thought he had been captured, and held on for years that he might come back to us one day, but he never did. My father died a few summers later and I, the last of his line took over the role of General for our people. By then our clan numbers had dwindled and the neighboring Clans were also being targeted for slaughter. The other Clan leaders made a bond with us, and we became one nation. We were able to fend them off for a few years, but when the economy failed Karse after their last war with Valdemar, they came to our land to rape it of its wealth.

"The Four Clans were the only thing standing in their way, so they used every tactic in their disposal to kill us off. In the time since the Tedrel Wars, as you call them, I have been captured twice, escaping by way of sheer luck. However there is a price on my head in Greater Karse. No doubt it has been raised by now. The last of our Clans are in the border villages of Valdemar, or seeking refuge in Rethwellan. When Orestes found me I was on the battlefield, trying to lead my family to safety. The oldest and the strongest of us gave their lives so we could escape. They followed us of course to the border, and it was only I and Orestes who fought them back until your border guards came to the aid of a Chosen and a Companion. My people will come find me here in Haven when the snows melt."

Marie looked to the faces in the room, which were all wearing expressions of sorrow, and some, shock. Selenay rose from her chair, and strode around the table to grab Marie's shoulders and pull her into as big a hug as her small frame could manage. Marie hugged her back, the Caregiver taking over as she whispered to her Queen that it was all right, and not to fear for her.

Selenay held Marie at arms length and looked into the woman's eyes.

"You and I are alike, we are both leaders, and we both know what loss and sacrifice are. You will make a fine Herald, but you will also be a sister of mine, I welcome you to our family."

Marie smiled her first genuine smile to the occupant of Elcarht's sitting room.

"You and I will have much to discuss in the coming months, I fear, but in the end you are one of us, and what Karse is doing is wrong. We will help your people to the best of our ability."

"Thank you Selenay,"

The Queen brushed her hand over her eyes and with her arm still about Marie's shoulder, she announced to the room,

"Come meet your new sister."

Keren and Teren, each gave her a hug at the same time, while Elcarth and Talamir shook her hands and gave her supportive pats on the back. Red kissed her hand, and Myste made arrangements to speak with her privately about her people and how exactly she came to Valdemar from Karse.

Inan had stood back in the corner until the others had greeted Marie. Finally he made himself approach her, and politely tapping on her shoulder he bowed low to her,

"I am Herald Inan, at your service always Miss Fox." He said gently.

Marie considered shaking his hand, but in her emotional state she flew at him hugging him to her heart she whispered,

"Gladly met, I've always wished for another brother." She said genuinely as she released him to see happy tears in him eyes.

He nodded to her and made his exit.

Marie watched him go, understanding his need for solitary thought. She crossed the room to stand before Elcarth,

"I have something for you, something I think that will answer some of your questions better than any answers I could give you."

From the deep cloak pocket she withdrew the Clan journal she had been keeping since her father's death.

"My Father began this journal when he was exiled with my mother, after he died I continued to keep the log. It is a history of my people, our ways, and our beliefs."

Elcarth took it carefully, as though accepting a great treasure.

"I will return it to you unscathed."

"I have no doubt."

"But, I do have questions to ask that I fear will not be answered by this volume."

"You might be surprised, I would request that you read the journal before asking me anything?"

"I will endeavor to read it quickly then. Now go enjoy the rest of your holiday."

Marie curtsied slightly to him and left the room. Outside Alberich was talking to Keren, but he paused long enough to nod in her direction. She nodded back and turned down the stairway in the direction of her dormitory room.

….

Behind her Alberich and Keren were being ushered back into the sitting room by Elcarth.

"Alberich, I have known you for a long time, and I trust you more than most. You have never given me cause to worry, but should I where Marie Fox is concerned?"

"I think not." He said simply.

"Alright, I said I trust you, and I'll not ask you again."

Alberich nodded.

"Now, why was Marie out in the snow and ice last night? Normally after a declaration like hers I wouldn't care, but there's a patch of ground that won't see flowers next summer…and well, I'd like to know why."

Alberich didn't say anything, instead he leaned forward and plucked the journal from Elcarth's hands, flipped through it's pages until he came to a book marked passage that Marie had thought he would want to find first and returned it to Elcarth's hands.

The Dean looked down at the page that read "Death Rites and other Dances" before smirking and muttering under his breath,

"I'll just read the book first then shall I?" he said before closing the book and resting it on the corner of his desk.

Keren was sure she'd missed something, but let it go. The three of them sat and spoke of other matters until Elcarth was summoned to a council meeting, leaving Alberich and Keren alone again.

"He may not ask you about it, but I'm not so polite that I won't look out for a fellow girl who might be more than a little confused. What's going on between you and the trainee I'd pursue if I weren't life-bonded?" Keren pushed, knowing that she at least could and would get a straight answer out of the stern man.

"Nothing that plagues your mind is going on with Marie and I. Understand each other we do, we understand what others cannot." Alberich stopped and looked away from Keren and into his empty tea mug. "Nothing will come of it while she is my student." He finished.

"Alberich, none of us would think less of either of you if something did, we're Heralds. If you two have a bond of any sort, don't fight it, just be sure it is acceptable to you both."

Alberich shook his head,

"I will not cross that line, no matter her years or her experience, she may not have anything to learn by me, but she is a student and I am her teacher. Talamir and Elcarth think she will not be a trainee for very long, but while she is, I will not cross that line."

"Then where was she last night?"

"In my bed."

"And where were you?" she was almost teasing now.

"On the floor." He said with a small hidden smirk as he left Keren chuckling in the hallway.

….

Marie pushed her door open expecting half her room to be covered in ice, but some nice soul had closed her window and lit her hearth an hour ago. Her room was warm and dry, and her bedclothes had been changed in her absence. Pinned to her pillow was a small scrap of paper that read,

_Marie,_

_My bonded and I thought you had been through enough last night and wanted to make sure that your room would be inhabitable when you came back to it. In exchange you must come ice-skating with us this afternoon._

_Herald Ylsa._

Marie blinked, she had heard about students and Heralds alike absolutely rave about ice-skating, but she had never seen it done. She was sure however that she wouldn't be able to go in the clothing she was wearing now.

Last night Alberich had put her in his bed, while he slept on the floor. She had thought it was sweet, although totally unnecessary. She was ten times more accustomed to sleeping on the bare stones than he. He didn't ask a lot of questions, and he left her to mourn. In the morning he gave her some soup and tea, wrapped her in his large wool cloak, and did something most odd for a man in his position…he had kissed her.

It wasn't a fatherly kiss, or a brotherly kiss. In fact, it was unlike any kiss she had ever received, not that she had any experience in lovers mind. Her life had always been about protecting, and foraging, and surviving and learning all that was possible. She had never been one of the Clan beauties or like the others who tried to woo men into their beds. No, she had seen too many girls come out mothers without the heart of a man to show for it, to think of sex as a testament of love. Caregivers saw much that women didn't speak of in public or even to each other. Sex was the means of procreation, but a kiss? That was something that Marie had no experience dealing with, and now she found herself thoughtful about what could be if he weren't her teacher.

The heavy wool cloak still smelled of him, and his rooms in the Salle. Marie caught herself breathing the scent in like it was the fragrance of the most beautiful flower, and shook herself out of her silliness. She hung the long wool drape over her chair, and sought a clean set of trainee grays, along with her towel and soap, before heading to the tub room.

When she returned, clean and in warm clothing, she again wrapped the shadowy gray cloak over her shoulders and headed to Mero for sustenance.

The cook was in the kitchen preparing a light fair for the smattering of Heralds who didn't fancy a mid day feast after last nights festivities. When he saw Marie enter his domain, his eyes lit up with a kind of sparkle.

"Now I knew you were staying firebird, sit there at the table and I'll make you something special."

Firebird, was Mero's nickname for her, because of her determination and her deep red hair. Marie smiled at the short man and did as he bade, there was no point in trying to help him when he wanted to do something nice for someone.

A few minutes later the servers took the food for the Heralds, and Mero was laying three hefty platters between Marie and himself at the small corner table in the kitchen. One pewter platter was overflowing with cheeses and cold meats, while another was a somewhat toppling pyramid of winter fruits, and the last made Marie stop still.

The last platter had six small cakes on in, each one covered with crystallized sugar that had been dyed an amazing purple color.

Mero chuckled again,

"Herald Inan was in here earlier, and he suggested that I make up what he called rock cakes, in case you stopped by. He said that your people used to eat them on special occasions. Well I only have the large baking sheets, so I made enough for the whole castle. The Queen loved them, I think I may have to make them again some time."

Marie smiled brightly at him, this very simple sweet bread was just another bit of home that had followed her here, making her stronger in her resolve to stay. The two of them tucked into their food, chatting happily and talking of the homes they'd left. Marie wondered during one of Mero's tale about winter celebrations, if Mero knew how to ice skate?

…

When Heralds Ylsa and Keren came to get Marie for their promised ice adventure, they found Marie ready for the task. She had put on an extra knit tunic, had a pair of skates that would fit her shoes in hand, and was still enrapt in Alberich's wool cloak.

Ylsa had seen her that morning wearing it, and had shared a few mind sensing thoughts with Myste about it. However she had assumed that the cloak was merely on loan for the morning, but it was many hours later, and if the Armsmaster had wanted it back he would have retrieved it by now. It was something she would have to contemplate later, because right now she and Keren were set on making the young Fox relax and have a little fun.

"Have you ever ice skated before?" Keren asked her as they walked down to the first level.

"No, but Mero gave me the summation of the sport over lunch." She replied.

"Oh my, well Mero is an excellent skater, but he has had twenty some odd years of practice. Did he warn you that you'd fall down a lot?" Ylsa sufficed.

"Yes I expect many bruises out of this adventure," Marie teased.

"Well rumor says that you're not receiving them at weapons practice, so this may balance out the score." Keren teased in return.

Marie just smirked at the other women. It was nice to have women her age around her again. There was easiness about socializing with the Heralds that Marie hadn't been able to accept when dealing with her year mates. Maybe it was because the Heralds had been through the greater life experiences, the same as she had, that made the difference.

Outside the air was dry and crisp, like the ice that crunched satisfactory under their boots. The three made their way to the riverbank where some other skaters had already lit a fire barrel and were enjoying the afternoon on the ice.

Marie insisted on watching the others a little before trying her footing on the slippery substance. When she dared onto the ice for the first time she did indeed fall down just as much as Mero had predicted she would, but she kept trying, and laughing at herself.

Keren and Ylsa laughed with her, slipping a few times them selves. When the ice was covered in a thin blue shadow the women looked to the sky and realized how long they had been enjoying the outdoors.

"You know Mero will have our hides if we miss his Yule Dinner." Ylsa joked.

"You're just hungry and are afraid of missing your vanilla tart." Keren played.

"I'm with Ylsa, food and warmth are looking wonderful right now." Marie added.

"You'll miss Mero's food when you're on your internship. Even some of the bakers and cooks in the eastern cities don't hold a candle to our cook." Ylsa remarked.

Smiling and trudging, perhaps a little slower than before, through the late afternoon shadows, the three comrades made their way to their rooms, then to tubs, and made a late entrance to the Dining Hall, where they were met with welcoming faces, laughs, jokes and songs.

Marie sat next to Ylsa and on the other side of Red, who beamed at her. From across the room Elcarth and Alberich watched her relax with the others.

"I think she'll be fine now." The Dean said.

"Now that she is not carrying the burdens of her people, she will acclimate well."

"Her teachers say that she might beat even my training time, and be out on circuit by this time next year." Elcarth paused. "I've been reading that book of hers all day, and there are many things I still don't understand. Why would Karse send people to exile rather than put them to work in their prisons and mines? It seems unusual to their regular internal thought processes."

"The people they sent to that wasteland, were never expected to live more than a couple days. It is truly a place of hell. And before Marie's father it was a home largely for brigands and murders. After he was exiled there came stories to the cities in Karse that the outlaws had formed a network, and were all working together. Not many believed the stories, until that first confrontation." Alberich explained.

"She makes reference to the bounty on the heads of the Generals, and it looks like she has made right enemies with the powerful in Karse."

"Elcarth, friend, try to understand. If one of your council members knew all the secrets of the crown of Valdemar, and was exiled to a place like that, but instead of dying he joined forces with an underground movement consisting of other threats to the crown…wouldn't you be worried about what he chose to tell to your other enemies?" Alberch elaborated.

Elcarth's eyes grew wide.

"So her father was important in Karse then?"

"Military leaders rarely know the ins and outs of the Sun Priests, but Master Fox was a loyal fighter and a legend to the soldiers. He had never stepped one toe out of line, and then one day it was known that he had been exiled, but no one would say why. When the Sun Priests learned that he was behind the organization of the savages in the desert they became afraid, and mandated that campaigns would be measured at the desert until the factions were dead. By chance they happened to hear about the gem wealth, and it fueled their greed for control. It is sadly ironic that while Karse was fighting us in the Tedrel Wars the people of the desert didn't suffer from the hands of the Sun Priests orders."

"Because their attentions were focused on us." Elcarth finished.

"So they feared what Marie's father could tell them about their military, their tactics, and probably more. As a result we have garnered a powerful ally in the Heralds Collegiums, but one that comes to us with a lot of enemies, powerful enemies. Do you think they would know her on sight, or is it her name that is the famous element?" he asked.

"The campaign captains will know her on sight, and one or two of the Sun Priests will remember her, and anyone who has ever escaped her on a battlefield will remember her vividly. The nobles will not have known what she looks like, so there will be no trouble from envoys and the like, but I would give much to find out why they are so keen on silencing her."

Elcarth nodded,

"In her book there is never a mention about Inan as a target of this bounty system. Her father had one, and she has one, as do the other leaders of the Bonded Clans, but no bounty on his head even when he was still living and fighting with his father. What is so special about her?"

"They will remember her from her childhood. She didn't make mention of it in your rooms this morning, but her escape from the Karse capital was not as smooth as she suggested. I remember that she would visit the warriors of her clan as they rotted in prison cells, she would smuggle them food and clean water on Prayer days. She was so small and simple looking that none of the guards ever really paid her much mind. She was dressed as all servants and slaves are, and so she was not important enough to care about. It was she that planned their escape, she that worked out the timing for such a venture. The guards were found locked in the very cells her people had occupied for half a year. By the time anyone noticed they were missing, they had fled long ago. It was curious though."

Alberich stopped and drank a long gulp of his wine.

"What?" Elcarth prompted.

"In the morning, Marie and one other servant child were missing with the twenty or so of her clan's seasoned warriors, but she had left seventeen of the other children we had captured. None of them knew anything, or ever tried to escape themselves, even though they were all watched for years after the incident. When I left they were all still living and still working as servants for the wealthier lords."

Elcarth stroked the short beard he had been growing as he absorbed all of this information. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the journal. Rifling through its pages he came to the passage that had sparked his thoughts when Alberch concluded his story.

"Here in an entry only a year ago, she makes mentions of "the eyes". '_The eyes have sent word that there will be a larger number of soldiers this year, now that the Tedrel Wars have ended, our time of peace has been short lived, but much needed._' From what I can tell, the eyes are not scouts, because each clan has it's own scouts which she calls runners. The eyes she speaks of are only mentioned once and a while usually after a captured clan member returns to the group. Is it possible that those seventeen were left on purpose? Maybe to act as the invisible eyes for the clan?"

"It is." Alberich said shortly.

"Alberich, if this is true we may have access to an existing spy network within the heart of Karse, something we've been trying for all these years, may be open to us through this woman."

"Shall I speak to her?" he asked stiffly, Alberich wasn't keen on the idea of using Marie's people without her knowing the full extent of it all.

"Not yet, before we even approach Marie I will need to speak to the Queen, and our existing spies. For now I will push for that one to earn her whites as soon as possible. With or without this possible avenue in Karse, we are in need of her services."

Elcarth left Alberich with his thoughts, which were at the moment as large as the sky and as many as the stars. He stole secretive glances towards Marie and the smiles she was sharing with Red, and was happy for her. He was still conflicted in his emotions towards her.

Try as he might he could not label her as sister, or daughter, or just a friend. She was more than that but he could neither call her lover or life-bonded, those titles didn't fit either. There was a bond between them that stretched back to the day she had told him, _'It is not my duty to kill you.'_ What had she meant by that? Had she known he was meant for something like this, being a Herald? He had often wondered, if her duty was not to kill him, what was the nature of her true duty to him?

His mind drifted naturally back to that morning. He had meant to kiss her lightly, chastely upon the forehead, but as his head had lowered, his gaze rested on her mouth and he lost control of himself for the briefest of moments. When his lips had met hers he had not anticipated the stirring within him, and his kiss had held a desperate needy quality, he hoped that she hadn't noticed. He hadn't treated her any differently after that point, and she hadn't sought his company since, but she had kept his cloak. It was odd, he liked that cloak, and it afforded him a certain invisibility when he was working his many roles in town, but he wouldn't collect it from her, he could always make another one, and he felt she should keep it.


	10. Chapter 10

Unknown Wars Chapter Ten: The Messenger's Whispers

The students returned, and the second half of the class year had begun.

Marie had spent the final days of the break talking with Selenay and her advisers about her homeland, her people and her life. It had been draining, but it was also validating that other people felt the wrongness of it all.

She sat in her classes now, even more focused than before, if that was possible? She felt that her path, wherever it led her was the path of a Herald, and that if she was going to be of any use, she had better learn as fast as she possibly could.

One afternoon after her turn in the sewing room, she was walking into town with another of the older students she had met in her classes. Jeri was a few years younger than Marie, but she was an excellent fighter, and Marie had felt an instant kinship with her. She was noble born, not that it mattered among trainees, and had wondrously dark brown hair that swung freely and straight when she wasn't in the kitchen or at weapons practice. Jeri possessed a mind like a fine jewel; clear, focused, and brilliant.

Marie had met her first in their shared time with Alberich, and then again later in their stratagems and tactics class. Jeri had struck up a conversation with her about a rumor she had heard and they had fallen into a swift commodore. Ever since that day the two were seen in the library, riding, and studying together, if no one knew Marie or Jeri all that well they might assume the two girls were lovers, as many at court had speculated.

Jeri hadn't had many close friends who were also trainees and it was nice for her to meet another girl who was as adept at fighting and tactical skills as she. Plus, once a week they would go into town together as their own tradition of fun.

Today, the air wasn't quite as biting as it had been, and the sun broke out intermittently behind the clouds as if it were playing a round of hide and seek with them. Their Companions walked safely through the ice and snow packed ground where regular horses would be hard pressed not to slip and injure themselves.

Jeri was stealing little glances in Marie's direction. She had been quiet all day, and once again like always after the Yule break Marie was wearing the same shadowy gray wool cloak. Jeri had thought that it was a Solstice gift, but it wasn't new. It's edges were frayed and the ribbon on the interior lining was of special knotted weave, that Jeri had seen once in the shops about five or six years ago but not once since. The coloring of the cloth was the most noticeable in direct sunlight. The entire cloak was a patchwork of oddly shaped bits, of different shades of gray. However, next to each other it was clear that their arrangement was deliberate, and it seemed that the hood was made of the lightest silver gray, while the hemmed edges hung in a thick charcoal drape.

It was no secret to Jeri who had given her this cloak, but she was dying to ask her friend why Herald Alberich had done so?

When they reached the shopping streets, the Companions were left standing at the junction, they were within mind call distance, but they could also watch the streets relatively unnoticed from their station.

Jeri was wearing a rich mauve dyed wool cloak over her herald trainee's uniform, and she looked smart and handsome.

Marie was aware of her prettiness, but she felt somewhat self conscious next to the dark hared beauty at her side. Still, Jeri couldn't help being beautiful any more than Marie could help being intimidating.

Jeri had confided that many of the other students hadn't approached her for this reason.

"You sometimes get this stern look on your face, usually when you're thinking hard about something, but the rest of us think you'll bite our heads off if we disturb you. Not to mention that everyone knows about your spar with Alberich, is it true that you two fought for over ten minutes?" she had said.

And that was the beginning of her friendship with Jeri. Marie knew that there were many things that Jeri wanted to know but wasn't asking. For the entire ride into town today, she had been glancing at her, thinking she couldn't see her do it. The hidden talent of her cloak was that the fabric of the hood, while it kept the moisture out, was as fine as gauze. The dark color of the wool against something solid, like her body, gave the impression to others that the heavy material blocked her sight. While in fact she could she everything from within the hood as though she were looking directly at it. Its second saving grace was that the dark wool protected her eyes from the snow glare.

She followed Jeri into the_ Smithery Stop_, a merchant who worked with the blacksmith's guild. He was pricey but he could find a blacksmith for any job, and he had the savvy business habit of not asking too many questions.

"Ah my most beautiful customers. What will you have me procure for you today, another set of sickle blades?" he asked charmingly.

When Marie had first arrived in Haven she had needed repairs done to her own battle blades, but a blacksmith had suggested new ones, as her own were showing signs of rust spot, which meant that they were already partially rotted on the inside.

With regret she had retired her own blades, but to her amazement the blacksmith had been able to make exact copies of them, complete with the thick hide leather wrappings around the hilts. She had traded a whole strand of Amethyst for his services. Since then she had become known for her favored brand of currency.

Jeri had asked her, how many beads she had with her once after she paid for a small dagger with three of them. Each bead was about the size of the nail of the pinky toe

And was a deep, almost black, flawless purple tone. Marie had them in strings that she explained had been sewn inside her clothing, her bag and her boots.

"You mean that you keep this kind of currency on you all the time?"

"Oh no, not now at least, but I used to."

"Why?"

"Well, you remember when I told you about being captured twice?"

"Yeah" Jeri had been hesitant.

"Two strands of amethyst and my guards were persuaded to look the other way while I climbed out of the wagon and rolled down a muddy hill."

"I can see what you meant by having a good relationship with luck."

"That was the first time, the second time I didn't have opportunity for much of anything."

Her last comment had been muttered and Jeri hadn't heard her, so the conversation was left.

Marie stood in front of the merchant, whose name was Herb Doloven. He was a short man in his fifties whose belly size was the proof of his investments. He had a cheery disposition and was very attentive to detail. Marie would bet her best boots that he knew a lot more than most people gave him credit for. After all the first lesson her father had taught her was never let anyone know how smart you really are.

Jeri was in the corner admiring the smaller lightweight swords, so Marie felt safe that her request wouldn't be overheard. When Jeri was examining craftsmanship it was serious business, to which she gave her whole attention.

Marie pulled a piece of creased parchment out of her breast pocket and unfolded it.

"I need four of these made, exactly to specification, and preferably by the same person. The intricacies of the metalwork may call for a jeweler, but if they ask they may be told they are specialty boxes. I'll be willing to pay up to three times what I've given in the past, although I may need to pay you in installments."

"This will take mastery work, but since I detect an air of secrecy there is one man here in Haven who can do what you ask, but he will want to meet you in person. Will that arrangement be all right with you young Madam?" he asked politely.

Marie was nervous but nodded her consent.

"I can arrange for you to meet him here at the shop, next week at this time perhaps?" he coaxed.

Marie nodded again.

Doloven picked up the paper and reread its contents one more time before stowing it away behind his desk. Marie gave him a small smirk and called to Jeri that when she was done to find her next door.

Jeri gave a sort of vague wave in Marie's direction and went back to balancing the tang of the swords on her wrist.

The shop next door was from one of the Weaver's Guild, except that she didn't carry any of the silks and velvets that the others did. Mrs. Brewster sold finely woven fabrics that would serve the working classes. She had started out with a simple covered wagon cart when she came from Rethwellan, but her prices and her assertiveness for her trade had made her quite wealthy by adhering to the needs of the mass population. Wool, cotton, burlap, canvas, for clothing or for working, if it could be used for labor and craft she carried it. It was her husband that did most of the actual weaving, but very few people knew that.

Marie could spend a whole year's stipend in this shop, so she always made her selections very carefully. Mrs. Brewster, like Doloven knew not to ask her many questions, and that made their business transactions a much easier endeavor. Today she was after a cross weaves fabric that was half wool and half cotton, dyed with the inkiest blacks possible. The fabric was lightweight but its cross weave would make it more resistant to tears.

Marie had been saving her money for this purchase, and ended up buying ten yards. Mrs. Brewster was happy, Marie was happy, and Jeri when she arrived was more curious than ever.

Jeri had always been a curious cat, and she could never wait very long before getting frustrated and blurting her questions, sometimes during the most inappropriate moments…today was no exception.

As the women were headed back to the Palace grounds, a mounted Herald came riding up beside them. Jeri hadn't expected the Herald to slow at their side and so hurled her question loudly to Marie.

"I can't take it anymore! What's going on between you and Herald Alberich?" she almost shouted and giggled at the same time.

The voice that answered was not Marie's, nor thankfully was it Alberich's.

"Oh, um, I think I'll catch you later Marie." Said a very awkward voice to Jeri's other shoulder.

Jeri swung her head around and saw Red blushing like a schoolboy and giving Marie a strange look before saluting politely and riding off in another direction.

Marie hung her head and shook it slightly with a strange smile on her face, but when her head came up again she was not smiling at Jeri.

"What do you want to know?" she said curtly.

"Oh I stepped in it big this time, didn't I? I just wanted to know what was up with you wearing the trademark cloak of the Armsmaster?" the tentativeness was back in her voice.

"He gave it to me, the night of Solstice. I thought it was on loan at the time, but he never came to claim it, and he refused it when I tried to return it the first day of lessons."

"Yeah, but what about the other stuff?"

Marie froze, she hadn't told anyone about the kiss or the words they shared in private. Only her Companion was privy to those conversations, and Kantor she supposed. She scrunched her brow in confusion and scrutinized Jeri's expression before asking,

"What other stuff?"

"Herald Alberich watches you."

"That's his job, he needs to be able to spot our weaknesses so can teach us not to have any…"

"No, I don't mean during lessons. Of course he watches us in lessons, but I mean when you two are in the same room, or across the hall from one another. He watches you, like you interest him. Honey, he watches you like I watch that Bard Heron." She said rather bluntly.

Bard Heron was the heart-breaker of Haven, a newly made Bard who possessed the deepest sultry voice in the three Collegiums. Jeri had been nursing a crush on him for a while, so Marie knew exactly what she meant by "watch".

Alberich watched her? Why? Did he think she needed watching? Was there something wrong?

As she tried to figure this news out Jeri was watching her very closely.

"You have the look of someone who knows more than she's saying, are you gonna tell me?"

"You are not to tell anyone what I say next, Herald's Honor Jeri."

"I give my oath as a Herald To Be that what you tell me will not pass these lips without your express permission." She said solemnly.

"We kissed."

"What? When? Was it any good?"

"We kissed, the morning of Solstice, and I don't know about the last, it was different."

"Different from what?"

"Different than kisses from friends and family."

"Wait, are you saying that your first romantic kiss was bestowed on you by our dark and stern Herald Alberich?" Jeri asked wide-eyed.

Marie nodded and hung her head again embarrassed.

"Oh sweetie, I didn't mean to make you feel bad, I just thought a woman like you would have had men in your life before now." She said gently.

Marie didn't say anything she just shook her head.

"Well, if this was your first kiss, then I'll ask this…how did you feel when he kissed you, besides being confused?" she redirected.

"I was surprised, and then it was nice, a little eager maybe, but I felt this flower unfold in my chest, and I just wanted to stay there…forever."

Marie blushed when she caught the smirk on Jeri's face.

"Are you sure you weren't made to be a Bard instead? But I understand what you mean, I remember my first kiss too and it was a lot like that. Then what happened?"

"Nothing, we were called to a meeting with Elcarth, and then that was it. That was the day I learned how to ice skate." She said absently.

"And what about since then, has anything else happened?" Jeri was leaning eagerly across the saddle in Marie's direction.

"No, we talk sometimes, but it all work related. Until you mentioned it I had no idea that he watches me, I don't know what to make of that by the way."

"Huh, darling you have eyes on you all the time. I think there are even one or two Heralds that are sporting serious favors for you. You mean you have no idea how beautiful you are?"

Jeri was astonished. Marie Fox was thin and muscular and sure a little intimidating, but so was Keren, and so was Ylsa. Marie had confidence and fiery red hair that any girl would kill to have naturally. Pale skin and large eyes completed the package where grace and height left off.

"My people favor curvy females." Was all she said in her defense.

"Heralds are not normal people from any creed or preference. The people here are going to value you for your strengths and your smarts, but know this for fact love, you are beautiful and there are many eyes here that have been appreciating it."

"If you say so," Marie conceded, giving Jeri one of her flashy smiles.

They continued their trek back to the Companion's stables as they noticed that the sun would be leaving the sky very shortly. As Orestes and Jeri's Companion Ferro made themselves comfortable after their tack and road dust and sweat had been removed, the two women found a warm alcove against the back stairs of the Herald's Quarters.

"About Herald Alberich, tread carefully. He's been romantically involved with Herald Myste and while I don't know their understanding, I don't want any one to be hurt over a _misunderstanding_. I think you two need to talk openly about what may be between you, or not. There's nothing worse than a one-sided love."

Marie digested this; she had spent time with Herald Myste, and liked her immensely. If Alberich were hers, she wouldn't go any further with him. He could be just as confused as she was, and she wouldn't add to that, especially if there was a chance that Myste would be hurt by it.

Marie was nervous abut the word "love", part of her feared it, but she nodded to Jeri's advise and the two talked about the swords Jeri had been so enraptured with during their outing, each preferring to leave the rest where it lay.

…

The deep thick snows had ceased to fall, and the harsher ice winds were changing course, as the coldest part of winter gave way to what some called the bleakest. This transition was called Spring in Valdemar, but with it's freezing rain, and it's overcast days of no sun, and a landscape of frozen mud and old withered dull green grass, it was hard to tell. It was neither cold enough for winter furs, but not warm enough to do without thick hide boots, and wool sweaters under heavy cloaks. The buds on the trees were starting to show on the branches, and so the hope of warmer weather was definitely on its way.

It was two months into this season when she received a small note from Doloven that her order had been completed.

After History class, Marie slipped out of the room and out of the halls before Jeri could find her. She ran to her room and changed into her riding boots and grabbing the warmer wool cloak from her wardrobe.

Her schedule provided her ample time in the afternoons before dinner to go into town for errands. She was in the saddle and trotting down the road toward Haven when her ears picked up the sound of Companion's hoof beats, hoof beats not coming from Orestes. They stopped and turned back to catch a glimpse of a rider approaching, as he neared she saw that it was Red. She smiled and waved to him, expecting him to ride past her, but instead he began to slow his pace when they neared and then stopped along side her.

"I saw you leave, and figured you'd be headed into Haven, do you mind if I ride with you?" he asked cordially.

"No, not at all Red." She said easily, although she hoped this wouldn't put a knot into her plans.

They rode together in a comfortable silence until they were in the thick of Merchant's Row. Here Marie tried to go off her own, by saying,

"Thank you for company, Red, where do you have to go?"

"The Smithery Stop, I requested a couple of throwing knives that are done, and yourself?"

Marie's smile faltered a little,

"I'm going there myself."

"Oh lovely. Shall we?"

He extended his hand to her after she dismounted, and didn't catch the look she was giving Orestes.

_He won't know what they are, and he's a Herald luvy, he'll know when to keep his mouth shut if he did._

_Okay._

The Smithery Stop was devoid of other shoppers, and Doloven greeted Marie as he always did, making her blush a little.

"My most beautiful customer returns, then you got the note alright? Good, good, I have your order in back, just wait there." He said turning to the door behind the counter.

"Come here often?" Red teased, "He can hardly remember my name half the time. He always refers to me as Herald, sure he knows what I'm here for, but he doesn't greet me like that."

"I ask for hard to find blades, my sickle blades? He found me a blacksmith to make a duplicate pair. It's in his worldly interest to keep me coming back with compliments." She said suavely.

"You're probably right, so what did you order through him this time?"

Marie was saved by Doloven returning with a large wooden box, with brass fittings and latch.

"He made the box special for your items to keep them safe during travel, if you'd like to inspect them?" he gestured to the latch.

"No, I trust the source, inspection will not be necessary, if you will give him his share of this?"

Marie placed a medium sized canvas bag on the counter. Red heard the distinct sound of what might've been marbles sliding around in the bag, but he doubted that marbles would be payment for anything procured in this shop. But Doloven picked it up with a happy grin on his face, as though the bag's contents were the greatest treasure of the world.

Marie was wearing a satisfied smirk as she cradled the case under her arm. Red paid for his knives in coin, and they left the shop.

"So, are you going to show me what you got?" he teased.

"Not here, in the middle of the street, I'm not." She countered.

Red smiled.

The ride home was consumed by Red asking her how her classed were, and reminiscing on his part on how he felt while he was taking classes as a boy. By the time they reached Companion's Field Red had forgotten to ask about the case, Marie had hidden it beneath her cloak before it could occur to him to ask. She parted from his company and quickly strode to her room, where she sat in front of the brick wall to the left of her fireplace.

Some of the stones near the base were loose and behind them was a cavernous space to the left of the smoke shaft. When three stones were dislodged she placed the whole case, unopened in the space, and replaced the stones.

A quick wash and fresh change of clothing later and she was rushing down the hallways to make it to dinner on time.

Half way there a familiar sound stopped her dead in her tracks. A soft whispering that would be mistaken, for the wind coming through a slightly cracked window, by anyone else was coming from the rafters above her head. Knowing better than to look, she slunk into the shadows until anyone walking by wouldn't be able to distinguish her from stone.

The whispers fell from their high-pitched hissing, to a soft, hushed, flow of air, like wind in the trees in summer.

The creaking of the heavy wood beams above her head confirmed his location, and with practiced muscles and agility, Marie grabbed the thin edges of the stone, wall behind her and began to raise herself up the side of the wall. When she reached the rafters she swung herself up and came to balance on a beam no wider than the sole of her boot. Only then did she raise her head to gaze into the eyes of the messenger.

Sharp blue eyes met hers and they held a kindness she had feared she might never see again. Had her mind not been so focused on the fact that she was three men's height in the air she may have lost her balance from the shock of who she perceived was before her.

Marie longed to touch her friend, to be sure he was real, but the sound of voices stopped her. The two of them remained crouched near the roof, surrounded in darkness, as the voices came nearer. Marie recognized the voices as Herald Alberich and Herald Myste, and lowered her right hand that had been hovering in the air, in a slow motion indicating that they were not a danger.

Marie wished with all her heart that she were somewhere else, if Myste and Alberich were going to have a private conversation; it was the last thing she wanted to hear. Eaves dropping, literally was not on her top of her "things to occupy spare time with" list. She tried to run through a vocabulary list in her head to block out what they were saying, but when she heard her name it became impossible not to listen.

"Alberich, we've known each other for some time, and I know you better than most. We've been drifting for some time now, and like you I have been looking elsewhere for a while. If you are interested in Marie Fox, tell her. I'll not be hurt. I'll be happy for you, if you'll be happy for me."

"Of course I am."

"Friends never stop being friends Alberich."

"I do not know what we are, the fox girl and I."

"She isn't so much a girl, as a warrior woman."

Alberich didn't say anything else, and Myste headed for her rooms, as Alberich leaned against the wall. Marie saw him look straight in their direction, but she knew that not even he could see through the shadows to their hiding place. After a few moments he headed back down the hallway from whence he came, and when his footsteps were far enough away, Marie looked once again to her compatriot.

The words that escaped his mouth were not Valdemarian words; nor Karsian, nor Hardornian, nor the tongues of Rethwellan; they were Clan-speech.

"Do not be shocked Lady," he said soft as a mouse. "More of us in Haven there are, and we have found our Lady General amongst the White Riders. We will wait your words. Take this and we shall speak again."

A small bundle of cloth and the crisp sound of parchments rubbing together came from within it. She accepted them and stuck them securely into her waist, before addressing him.

"You made it safely?" she asked.

"As safe as any of us have ever been Lady." He said darkly, but his voice changed in his next comment,

"The dark haired man, he watches you often, he was in the streets today watching, but he doesn't know that we watch him as we watch you. You are safe?"

"I am safe."

"Then I must go, be well Lady, we will wait for your words." He said reverently.

Marie watched the glistening of his eyes disappear into the further reaches of the blackness, and knew that if she felt for him now she would find only where he had been. It was a stealth tactic that she herself had taught him, and countless others…invisibility was more about tricking the eyes, and using fear and swift movements to one's advantage.

She waited a few more minutes and descended from the rafters landing soundlessly on the floor. She brushed the dust off her clothing, not that it would show on trainee's grey, and instead of going to dinner she went straight back to her room.

She closed the door snugly, and sat against it on the floor, where she opened the small cloth bundle. As she expected there were letters, all of them written in code, from the various "Eyes of the Clan". She counted the notes there were three in all. She sighed it would take her some time to translate these, but there was no time better than now. She made a fire and set some water for tea, while she cleared her desk of her schoolwork.

The writing codes depended on the person writing them, all together there were fourteen different codes to follow. Marie picked up the one that looked like it had been written with the most haste. It was a short message, written in a hexagonal form, so that every word of the sentence was scribed exactly sixty degrees to the left of the previous word. The marks were little better than chicken scratches to begin with, and once the word order was achieved the actual symbols had to be deciphered.

Marie's father had been brilliantly intelligent, and had created the written code language himself, with an alphabet of over three hundred letters. Each of those symbol's meanings were subject to change depending on the word that came directly before or after it. This was done so that even if somehow an eye were forced to translate using the basic alphabet, the true message would still be unknown to the reader. Misdirection was complicated, but a necessary element to their ways.

Two candle marks later; Marie beheld the first of three messages,

"Lady Fox Lives, in the star city, many know she is there. The eye in the dark is fallen, the eye of the blue is lost, and a red shadow follows our feet." She intoned, in her dwindling firelight. The translation was fairly simple but disturbing. _They knew she was alive here in Haven, but there were others who might be aligned with Karse who knew she was here too. _That explained why her eyes would be watching Alberich watch her, they feared he was loyal to his motherland. Still there could be others she couldn't't see that she would need to be ready for.

_One of their spies in the capital city of Rethwellan was dead. _If they couldn't't know for certain they would have said lost, like they had for the spy in Hardorn_, "the eye in the blue"._

The note was written by her father's best friend who was in his grandfatherly years, but he still moved easily, and as an old man no one would care about he saw much that others would miss. He was an avid musician and played the wandering Bard in his travels, giving him a certain amount of ambiguity.

The last line froze her blood a little. _A red shadow meant that the Sun Priests were calling their demons on her people's tracks. The demons attack in the shadows of night, and leave a trail of blood in the dawn._

She rubbed her eyes, and although she was tired, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep if she didn't know the rest of the information.

She made more herbal tea, and stoked her fire before returning to her task at her desk.

The second and third messages were written by the same hand, in an octagonal, diagonal form, and whose words filled the whole page. Marie did her best, but at the end of the week, and at the end of her busy day, she fell asleep on the surface of the desk her head cradled on top of her folded arms.

The dawn light woke her and she rose disoriented, she hadn't remembered getting into bed? Then she looked back at her pillow, and saw a small note.

_"You missed dinner, I was worried, don't work so hard. – Jeri"_ she read aloud. She glanced over at her desk and saw that Jeri hadn't touched anything; she had simply put her friend to bed. Marie wondered how tired she must've been not to feel Jeri's ministrations?

Shaking her head, she stretched and after her morning wash and new clothes she resumed her seat at the desk. When she had fallen asleep, she had almost finished the second letter.

A short time later she was reading the translation over when a firm single knock, that meant Alberich was at her door, brought her head up. She turned the knob allowing the door to hang loosely in the frame, but she was in no mood to receive him fully.

The door unlatched and swung softly inward where Alberich found Marie sitting at her desk her head leaning into her pitched hands bent over a mess of strewn papers covered in symbols and others in rewritten sentences, some of which made no sense.

He walked in and shut the door behind him, but was surprised when she neither turned or acknowledged that he was there. He laid a hand on her shoulder, and without saying anything she handed him a piece of parchment that bore her handwriting, over her shoulder. She continued to stare at the wall above her desk, although he could feel her trembling beneath his hand.

He took the parchment and sat on the corner of her bed to read it,

_The clans are lost, the borders of Rethwellan closed off by the red shadows. They knew where we would go. We must find the Lady. She went north to find the Lost Lord. In the city of stars we will find her. New darkness in Karse, old darkness coming back from the fallen land, many of the eyes are lost, or fallen. The dark men are seeking the Lady, for she knows all, and they want what she knows. Wolves follow Foxes, Crows and Red Feet have fallen, been taken, and changed. The eyes are gathering in the star city, all will be by Longest Day._

Alberich read the paper many times, trying to put it together in his mind. Marie was rising from her chair now, but she went to her fire and poked it with her iron rod until the flames were leaping high again, then she began to speak.

"It means that the bond between the clans that I told you about is over. The White Crows and Red Wanderers, who were headed for Rethwellan were intercepted by Karse before they could get there. Some died, some are captured, and some have traded information for I'm sure what they supposed would be release. I wonder if they were surprised when they were executed?" she said sarcastically.

"The ones remaining know that I went north to Valdemar, so it's likely that Karse knows that I'm here too. I know things, therefore I am a threat to them, and so they will seek me, even here in Haven." She finished.

"Haven is the 'city of stars?'"Alberich questioned.

"Yes. Haven, like Heaven, and Heaven is the sea of stars." She confirmed.

"Who wrote this?"

"One of the clan eyes."

"Who are they?"

"Spies, assassins, highly trained runners." She answered deftly.

Alberich nodded, and Marie who had finally raised her eyes to look at him, knew that he had been waiting for her to confirm his own theory.

"And the darkness and the red shadows?"

Marie paused then.

"The red shadows are demons brought by the Sun Priests to rid their world of nuisances. They come at night, kill and destroy everyone, and leave only bloodstains. The darkness is old tactics reborn in their strategies. They will send assassins, to kill me and then those I love most dearly."

She spoke without inflection, worry or emotion. Her eyes stared at him steadily, and she hadn't blinked once.

Alberich knew she was scared regardless of how strong she looked. He rose and went to her, as he had before he stood before her, looking into her eyes with that same intensity he had before.

"You are not alone in this, you are a Herald, we will help you."

"I've put you all in danger, that could have been avoided if I hadn't come here."

"But it would have not ridden yourself of the danger, so it would have helped nothing." Alberich said sternly.

"But you would not be affected." She said softly.

"And I would have been a worse man for it."

Marie and Alberich were inches from each other, but neither moved, they simply stared at each other for what seemed like ages.

"Do I have your permission to share this information with those who should know?" he intoned.

"Thank you, yes you have it." She said a little sadly.

Alberich took her left hand in his right and brought it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. She smiled at him, and his chest clenched a little.

Marie could feel her unsaid words buzzing in her head, and she couldn't't stop herself from murmuring,

"I don't know how to interpret this."

It was all she could come up with that would make an ounce of sense.

But it seemed to make perfect sense to Alberich, so much that he was a little taken aback. She wasn't saying that she was confused about his intentions, or his boundaries or morals. No she really didn't know how to think of the situation growing between them, because she had never been in a situation like this.

The realization that she might be a virgin, was perplexing as well as awing. She wasn't innocent to the world, yet she was innocent to the ways of lovers? She knew about sex and babies as a Caretaker, but she didn't know about love? To be sure, she knew of family and community love, and the love of brothers in arms, but that she was saying that she had no experience as a lover was like a bucket of ice over his head.

Marie had been watching his reaction, and was nervous to see shock there. He hid it well, but the still nature of his eyes gave him away to her. She half expected him leave the room right then and there, but he didn't. He jarred himself out of his thoughts, and took her head in both his hands, and kissed her left eyelid, gently running his thumb over her jaw line, before nodding in her direction and leaving the room with the translations in hand.

….

A/N: Okay, I know I'm stringing you along, but I promise that the next chapter will explain more about Marie and Alberich…patience patience.


	11. Chapter 11

Unknown Wars Chapter Eleven: My Heart To Yours

Jeri had been seeking the council of Keren and Ylsa lately as the result of her conversation with Marie. She had been very careful to represent the problem as though it were her own, and not with Alberich or any other Herald.

She had been on her way to Marie's room to check on her friend when she saw Alberich coming through Marie's door, heading off for some unknown destination in a hurry. He barely acknowledged Jeri as he passed her, and immediately she knew something was up.

She found Marie, about where Alberich had left her, in front of her hearth looking a little lost.

"Sweetie? Marie what happened? I saw the weapons-master leave."

"I don't want to talk about that right now. I'd like to have answers before we talk about that again?" she said dizzily.

"Have you eaten at all since yesterday? You look a little off." She commented.

When Marie shook her head, Jeri swatted her arm in annoyance,

"I'll go get you food, you just stay here, and drink some of that tea on the hearth." She added bossily, to which Marie chuckled at her friend's retreating back.

…

Inan and Red were lounging in Red's room, and Inan noticed that his friend's thoughts weren't with him. Had he been a lover he would have felt insulted.

Inan threw a rolled up ball of socks at his friend's head to bring him back to the real world, only to have them blocked at the last possible second.

"I may be a deep thinker, but I'm not inattentive Inan."

"So, are you going to tell me what's on your mind or can I have the pleasure of guessing." He drawled.

"You might not like what I'm thinking about?" he hesitated.

"Does it involve Marie?"

Red nodded.

"I've told you before, if you fancy her, I will be happy for you both."

"It's not that Inan, well it is, but not the way you think."

"You've lost me friend."

"I can't even say the words without thinking that its ridiculous, but I just…"

"Red, between the two of us and Gabriel and Gregory there have been plenty of stupid and ridiculous things concocted in our brains. There will be no shame if you add to the list." He joked.

"Okay, here it is…I think there may be something going on between Marie and Alberich."

Red stiffened waiting for an emotional explosion, but none came. He looked to his friend's face expecting to see shades of red and purple or maybe pale white, and then surely the screaming would come, except it didn't. Inan's expression of anticipation had not changed, he looked exactly as he had moments before, although his eyebrows were raised slightly.

"And?"

"And? What do you mean, and? I think Marie and Alberich are seeing each other!"

"Yeah, I got it the first time Red."

"Well? What are you going to say about it?"

Red watched in exasperation when Inan's mouth curved up in a gleeful little smile,

"Myste owes me a cake." He said giggling.

"Huh?"

…..

Myste was sitting, once again, surrounded by papers and books and parchments rolls. Inan observed her dreamily as she scribbled notes and searched with a free hand for a particular paper or file. It was a complete mystery to him how she could keep anything straight in this chaotic mess.

Idly he cleared his throat.

Myste's head came up from her work sharply, and her face glowed a little at the sight of him.

"Hey Inan, what can I do for you?" she asked cheerily.

"Blueberry honey cake, with sugar glaze." He said triumphantly.

"No, really? Wow I thought that would take longer?"

"Well I can't vouch that they're together, but that wasn't part of the bargain. All you said was when people started to wonder. Well there are people wondering all right." He stated.

"Who then? Who's figured out that two and two make four?" Myste harrumphed.

"I know Jeri has been giving Alberich looks that practically scream "What's going on?' and Red just brought it up with me personally."

"Red? He fancies her doesn't he?" Myste asked with hesitation, fearing the truth, for Red's sake.

"Yup. I think that it's mostly attachment with brotherly protective feelings, but there is some genuine interest there." He said regretfully.

"Ewwwwooooo. That won't end well, not in their predicament." Myste said.

"You mean because Red is, well, Red?"

"Mm hmm. But that's a different shoe, right now I guess I'll have to go raid Mero's kitchen."

"Sometimes I think it would just be better if they were life bonded, it might make it easier on the rest of us." Inan muttered exasperatedly.

"How would that make it easier?" she drawled

"Well, they would…oh…right. Never mind." Inan said sheepishly.

Inan was suddenly remembering the confusion and denial that had surrounded Keren and Ylsa while they were trying to figure out their own life-bonded relationship.

Myste smiled at Inan's innocent reaction and nodded her head before turning in the direction of the door.

…..

The sun was shining more these days, and the heavy boots and sweaters were squirreled away until next winter. Light coats and colorful silks were all the rave in the Queen's court, while the Herald's and trainees were just happier to escape the Collegium into the warm sunlight.

Marie however had spent the last five weeks in her classes, in her room, in the library, or meeting with Selenay, Elcarth, the Seneschal Herald Kyril, and the Monarch's Own Herald Talamir. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of Alberich in all that time. Ever since that morning in her room, he had been scarcely seen in the Collegium.

In the Salle his best students, Marie and Jeri included, took charge of the younger ones, and spared with each other, but he hadn't been around for a while.

To the others this was an abnormality, but to Marie it was easier to not think about him if she didn't have to see him. She noticed that while he was gone, she didn't worry for him, for fear for him, but that she was sure he would return just fine at some later point. It was all to the better that he wasn't about, especially tonight.

Marie felt a slight stirring under her sternum at the thought of being less than truthful with her friends about her whereabouts. However during all the hours that she had spent in the last month with the Monarch's Own, Marie had learned that even a Herald has rights to their own secrets.

Talamir was a man of many secrets, and although he had never said anything directly to Marie, she knew that he understood her silence. Lying in the grass against Orestes Marie reflected on their last conversation.

… …

_Marie and Talamir were sitting under the trees next to the Herald's Temple, two afternoons ago. It had been overcast, and most of the students had stayed indoors for the possible fear of rain. Talamir had come from Lake Evendim and was an expert in weather reading. Marie didn't mind rain, but took Talamir's word and the two of them found a pleasant place to hold their conversation._

"_I would ask you more about your time in Karse, but I sense that there is more on your mind than the secretive ways of the Sun Priests?" he asked in a grandfatherly way._

_Unlike Elcarth who had a subversive way of asking benign questions that were actually anything but, Talamir was straight with his questions and his answers. It had taken a few days for Marie to warm to any of the Queen's advisors, but Talamir had understood at once that it wasn't that she didn't trust Heralds, but that all formal authority figures made her nervous. For a while he never spoke unless he was answering a question. Gradually he began asking simple questions, and when he felt that Marie was comfortable with his presence he allowed his curiosity to unfold in more complicated inquiries._

_Today he had watched her out of the corner of his eye, as Marie looked off into the distance more than once as if she were seeking answers on the furthest horizon to a question she held in her hand._

_Talamir was getting on in years, and his heart was not as strong as it once was, but he was not feeble or oblivious in any way. Nor was he unable to read between the lines of what other Heralds were saying in all the corners of the Collegium. He knew that there was something between them, something that was strong and above all, it was complicated. His current Companion, Roland, who came to him after Taver had died, had assured him that they were not life-bonded, but Talamir knew there was more to that explanation that wasn't being said._

_He had known Alberich since the first day that he had helped the Karsain man across the border into Valdemar. He had known for some time that the relationship he had shared with Herald Myste was fading, and that they would remain good friends for the rest of their lives. There was something in Alberich's eyes whenever Marie was mentioned, that often made Talamir smile to himself._

_Now he noticed that while she was careful not appear flustered, the way her body suddenly went still spoke volumes._

"_You should know by now little fox, we are a family, and as a family we notice when our members are troubled. Will you not confide to this old man? Have I not earned your trust these past weeks?" he coaxed softly._

"_You know better then that Talamir. It is more that I do not know how to tell you, nor anyone what is between my head and my heart."_

"_Do you not confide to Orestes about the matters of head and heart?"_

"_Yes, but he doesn't need to be told, he just knows."_

"_Yes, our Companions often know what even we do not. And what does he tell you?" Talamir asked._

"_He says that my path is my own, but that it will always carry me in two directions at once."_

"_Riddles and poems but never a straight answer." Talamir harrumphed._

"_No, it isn't a riddle, but it does have a complicated answer. As you serve Selenay as Monarch's Own, and she serves Valdemar as a Herald and Queen, I serve the clans as both a member of their family and as their General. I was chosen, and I will be a Herald who serves Valdemar, but I will always be a Black Fox and what remains of the four clans will follow me regardless of whether I wear white and ride a spirit horse, or black and red and fight with sickle blades." She said hollowly._

_Talamir was very quiet for a while, and Marie wondered if he would understand a split loyalty like hers._

_As if hearing her unspoken worry, Talamir leaned towards her and pulled her into a hug._

_Marie stiffened a little, but then relaxed and rested her head on his boney shoulder, closing her eyes and sighing into his offered comfort. After a few moments she heard him whispering to her to,_

"_My lady, it is an honor to know one such as you who serves others before herself and her own heart. We are indeed lucky to have you here. May I tell you something?"_

_Marie pulled out of his arms far enough to look at him and nodded._

"_I have known Herald Alberich since he first stepped into Valdemar as a newly chosen trainee. I know the story between the two of you. I know how you spared his life even after he had captured you, and you escaped, and he came after your people a second time. I know that for one such as you, it would not be possible to grant the life of an enemy on light terms, and yet you did. There is an unnamed bond between you, is it this that preoccupies your mind today?"_

"_If you know that I spared his life, what else do you know?" she hazard._

_Talamir blinked and saw some of her old suspicion return in her eyes._

"_He did not tell us lightly, and it is not common knowledge that you knew each other in your previous lives. To answer your fear, I do not know what was done to you in between your capture and your escape, any more than you have told us." Talamir explained._

_Feeling that their conversation would not continue beyond the subject that had been broached, Talamir came to his feet, brushed himself off and while clasping his hands behind him he left her with his final thought._

"_I know that whatever ignited between Alberich and that young Black Fox girl was never extinguished, and that the proof of that lies in the small carved token that he carries with him always."_

_The look on Marie's face told him everything, her face seemed to loose its color, and her eyes had gone wide as walnuts. Talamir wished her a silent farewell and left her to thoughts that, he had no doubt, were both chaotic and contradictory._

…

Marie looked up through the green chandeliers above her and turned to nuzzle her temple into Orestes' main. In turn he nuzzled her shoulder,

_You thought he wouldn't honor a gift he didn't understand._

_I was young, I don't even know why I gave it to him, but something in me knew it was right._

_And you suffered because of that gift._

_My people couldn't understand why I would bestow it at that age, and to a man I should have killed._

_Your father understood._

_He did, even if the others didn't and shunned me for two years._

_Is that why you fear rejection from the Heralds, you think that they will shun you if they knew about your past, and your future?_

_Maybe. Or it could be simpler than that; maybe I'm scared that they will see through me._

_And what would they find chosen?_

_A girl who doesn't know how to love._

The sunlight came cascading into her eyes as the wind pushed aside the branches that sheltered her. This had been one of her first moments outdoors by herself in far too much time. The afternoon was warm and Orestes had brought her to a small wooded glen where he assured her they would be undisturbed.

He was her dearest friend, and she was glad he was here to share the burden of her soul, when no one else was capable. Jeri was important in her life, but there were questions she would ask that Marie didn't know how to answer. Orestes on the other hand didn't have to be told, with their mind link as strong as it was she had only to send, and he would receive…thoughts, feelings and fears, they were all in the realm of his understanding.

Marie checked the horizon and counted the hours before sunset.

_You are going to meet them tonight then?_

_Yes, in the poor half of town._

_Are you telling anyone?_

_No._

_I will come with you._

_You can't, I don't think Companions can fly, or ride on rooftops._

_Regardless, I will be there, even if you do not see me._

_Alright, I'll concede to that._

Later when Marie opened the door to her room she felt a presence before she could make out Jeri's shape leaning against the mantle.

"Hi Jeri," she said, her frame still hidden behind the door.

"How do you always know its me?"

"You always smell of bees wax and poplar flower."

Marie hadn't looked at Jeri in the eyes yet, instead she walked to the wardrobe and pulled out a dark bundle from the foot of the wardrobe and placed its contents on her bed.

Jeri watched her with a quiet fascination, the cloth was darker then even official trainee grays, and it held no sheen or visible texture. Marie was brushing out her long fire red hair and twisting it behind her head into a tight single plait braid. She seemed far and away in her thoughts, and yet completely focused on her adulations.

Marie spared a small smile to Jeri when her hair was out of the way.

Jeri thought that Marie might say something to her when she turned towards her wearing a smile, but she didn't. Instead she began going through the bundle on her bed. From where she stood, Jeri could see a long dark tunic, with sleeves that came to just below Maries elbows. Next to the tunic were some breeches made with the same black fabric, and a pair of fingerless gloves that would reach Marie's shoulders.

"What are you going to do with all that Marie?"

"Something requiring discretion."

Marie had been waiting for Jeri to confront her about her absence from meals, and free time. It had been three weeks since they had gone into town, and while Marie greatly missed their tradition some things had to come first.

"You're not going to tell me?" Jeri sounded hurt.

"I will eventually, but I can't right now, I have to get ready."

"Promise me it isn't dangerous?"

"You know I can't promise you that."

"Well promise me it isn't illegal?"

"It isn't illegal…in Valdemar." She added.

"Ok, can I help you with anything?" she ventured.

"Yes, you can cover for me. If any one asks I went to meet a boy."

"I won't lie for you."

"You wont be." She answered simply.

"But…what about Alberich?" Jeri asked hastily.

"It's not that kind of meeting, but no one else needs to know that."

"I see." Jeri conceded.

Jeri sat on the edge of Marie's bed and watched her friend pull off her silver gray trainee's uniform. It was the first time she had seen Marie without clothing that covered her arms. Even in the brutal heat of the Salle on a hot day Marie had never gone without long sleeves, and now she knew why.

"Marie?" she said tentatively.

"Jeri, these are old scars, they don't hurt me anymore, don't let them hurt you." She said quietly.

Marie pulled the dark clothing on quickly to save her friend from drawing too many conclusions from her scared body.

The sun had been down for thirty minutes, and both Marie and Jeri had missed dinner when Marie was finishing the laces on her boots. The last thing Marie took from her bed was a soft cotton gauze snood that she bundled her braid into before covering her head and face in darkness.

"You look like you're about to go burgle someone."

Marie chuckled, and then hesitated. Her specialty boxes were inside the hearth, and she couldn't get to them without Jeri knowing about it, but in that moment she understood that it wouldn't matter if she did.

"Jeri, I have something to show you."

The other girl came to her side, and knelt when Marie did. She watched carefully in the dim light as Marie slid out the four stones from the hearth wall. Her eyebrows rose as she watched her friend pull out the wooden case from its hideaway.

Marie opened it there and pulled out two of four identical cylindrical tubes that were each about the length of Marie's forearm, and no wider than three fingers. They were made out of a weird metal that Jeri had never seen before, it was dark polished like pewter, but it had a swirling pattern throughout the shape of the tubes.

"It's folded steel, thinner, stronger, and lighter then regular iron ore. These are hollow on the inside, so that messages and small articles can be stored within them. They are resistant to damage, breaking, and water tight, with two drums of air on the ends to make them float in water." She explained while opening them for Jeri to see inside.

"But be careful, the outside rim also had compartments within it. You see this filigreed design here at the seams of the box?"

"It looks like a tiny thorn branch."

"It is, the tiny tips are sharp and carry a poison in them like quill pens carry ink. If you don't know how to open the box correctly you'll feel a tiny prick and then you won't feel anything at all."

"Holy. Where did you get them?" Jeri was aghast at the implications of all their possible uses.

"My father designed them for our runners, they're called 'neuprimny osten', or Hollow-hearted Thorns. The ones he made are long gone, but these I had specially made here in Haven. I'm telling you this because I don't want you to think that I don't trust you. I do Jeri, with my life, but I can't tell you everything yet, can you understand that?"

"Of course I understand Marie, I'm honored that you showed me this."

Jeri's heart felt a little lighter knowing that her fears over the past few days of loosing Marie's friendship were unfounded. Obviously she had simply been preoccupied with other matters.

"Where are you going? Or can't you tell me that either?"

"I'll tell you that I'll be in Haven."

"Be careful."

"Always am." She smiled at her friend.

Marie took out her sling bag and put the thorn boxes into the front pouch, nestled against the dark fabric of her red wrap skirt and the leather hilts of her sickle blades. She tightened the strap of her sling bag bringing it flush against her back, and attached two wrist sheaths with unknown contents that clinked when she adorned them.

Marie was backing out of her window and finding her footing on the sill when a sharp knock came from her door. Jeri shoed her out the window and closed it firmly behind her. Jeri went to the door, threw a look over her shoulder to make sure that Marie was gone from the window frame and opened it as though she were leaving.

Herald Red was standing on the other side looking surprised to see Jeri and not Marie standing there.

"Oh, hi Jeri. Um is Marie in there."

"Uh no, I was just leaving her a note, she's off with a friend." She saved him a little bit of his pride, knowing that to tell this Herald, that she was off seeing a boy would be cruel.

"Oh, well never mind, have a good evening." He said awkwardly and then turned to return to his point of origin.

Red walked around the corner before breaking out into a run for the Salle.

He was certain he would find Marie there, and when he did he was going to confront Alberich for taking advantage of a girl like Marie.

In the back of his mind his Companion was trying to reason with the normally levelheaded young man, but Red was blocking him in his jealousy of the older Herald.

Red didn't wait or pause to knock on Alberich's door, instead he barged in his face red and his breath hot. He looked around to the obvious places, the couch, the bed in the corner, but Marie wasn't in either of those places in fact neither was Alberich. Red wasn't quelled by this and went out in search of the both of them, too preoccupied to look anywhere but in front of him.

Above Red's head Marie was sprinting, leaping and dancing on clay tile, tarred thatch and tin beams as she maneuvered over the sea of roofs to the outward west wall that would land her in the middle of the Guild Houses.

She avoided the tower and wall guards easily in her dark outfit and her swift movements. As she was climbing down the far wall she looked over her shoulder just in time to see a similarly clad figure creep into the window of one of the noble's houses. She smirked to herself, and hoped that that young one didn't send up the alarm otherwise she could be caught in the wrong for his adventure. Moving quickly she made short work of the wall, and landed on two feet with a minor amount of dust kicked up by her feet.

When she was safely tucked between the walls of two small servant's houses she unrolled the third coded message from her breast pocket. The translation of this one had taken days, but in the end was a detailed set of directions to where she would be meeting them tonight. From the message she knew she would be going to cheap street, and meeting her Eyes in the burnt out ruin of what used to be a boarding house that had been hit with arson earlier that year. She had heard that many people had died in the fire, and that no one was using the site for anything. There was a shed in the back that hadn't been touched by the fire that could hold seven full sized men, she was to meet them there tonight.

Returning the paper to her front pocket she straightened the snood and swept away into the dark shadows of the alley. Finding another stone wall, she clamored up it's side as though it were as easy as climbing a tree.

From a few yards away, a keen set of eyes watched her move gracefully up the alley wall to the uncharted nature of the closely-knit roofs of cheap side Haven. The silhouette she made in the soft moonlight was inspiring to behold.

Whoever this thief was, he had muscle control and strength that Skif could only dream about. He was a good thief, sure, he had skill, but the figure he watched was a being of control and speed. Skif knew that he couldn't run across rooftops like that and not make a single sound. Yet he was watching someone do it right before his very eyes. His attention was broken for a moment when the night guards walked below the window he was still balancing on, and when he looked back in the direction the figure had been heading he saw only the reflection of the moon on the roof tiles and not even a whisper of anything else.

….

Lately Herald Alberich had been spending more time playing his other identities, and talking with Talamir and Elcarth. The distraction of duty had helped keep his mind safely off Marie for a time, but whenever he found himself with a spare moment, his thoughts would drift back to her. So he kept his docket full and he thought less of her, until he tried to sleep.

Tonight he couldn't be bothered with any of that however. His various contacts had told him that the man he had been tracking for over a month was going to be in cheap side tonight, and that was where he was currently headed. His gray on gray jerkin helped camouflage him in the shadowy streets, and he kept his hood up until he was inside the Greasy Beard Tavern.

The light was dim, due to the fact that candles were expensive and this place was cheap on everything from the firewood to the sludge they served as food.

He took a small chair and table in the corner with one small window above his head that faced the small corner of thatch that served this building as a roof.

He had been sitting for above two candle marks when his target entered only to briefly drop something into the hands of a red-cloaked figure order a beer and then settle in with a group of whores who clung to the minimal heat of the hearth.

Alberich left him there to be fawned over, and returned his gaze to the red, cloaked figure who was leaning casually over his soup at one of the main tables closest to the door. He was about to move towards the bartender, which would bring him within sight of the figure's face, when a movement beyond the window ledge caught his attention. The thatch tufts were shifting and crackling, as though there were something heavy pressing down on them. Alberich squinted against the glare of the moon and saw a boot clad foot use the corner brace for leverage before the body it belonged to slid down the side of the building with a practiced ease. As the head came by the window the shadowed face betrayed the familiar amber glow of _his_ fox girl's eyes.

Marie slid quickly off the thatch roof and slid down the white washed corner of building passing briefly by a small window that allowed her to catch a quick glimpse inside the tavern, where she came straight into the piercing gaze of Herald Alberich.

To have missed his company and presence in the Collegium for so many weeks and then to see him here in cheap side, in a tavern known for it's lousy beer and cheap women made her start and almost loose her grasp on the beam she clung to. He was leaving the his table, no doubt to confront her, she had to get out of that alley quickly, but her path took her directly past the tavern's front door. She dropped hastily to the ground and decided to try for her original route. Hitting the loose pebble road she stumbled a little before hurrying around the building and breaking into a dead run.

Alberich was going for the door, when a whore came up to him trying to entice him, he side stepped her and came out the front door just in time to look down the road and see a wisp of black disappear around the corner. He followed suit knowing that she had run down a dead end alley, but when he reached the turn only seconds later, she was no where to be seen.

He sighed, and made for another of his frequented stops, hoping to find out something of use. He would have to deal with Marie later.

The shed was more like a small barn, but it would serve for tonight's meeting. Marie had reached her destination by scaling a wall and jumping another before Alberich had caught up with her footpath. Now she stood under the eave of a small house only a few feet from the shed. Cautiously she reached behind her and took out her sickle blades, tucking them under her arms, close to her body as she crept around the back of the building, and pulled herself through a low shutter-less window.

Inside she saw the bare floor illuminated through the obvious holes in the ceiling. Listening very carefully, she raised her head to the cross beams of the simple structure and made a hard clicking and tittering sound with her tongue. Immediately three chirps sounded back to her in the darkness.

Marie gave a final chirp and brought her blades into plain sight, as four sets of feet lightly thumped to the packed earth floor in one sweeping movement. Each held identical sickle blades in their hands, that caught the moon light and shone bright in the secretive place.

"My Lady, you have come." The four voices intoned as one.

Marie blinked and turned her head away as a bright glow filled the room as one of the Eyes uncovered an oil lamp. The soft golden light illuminated her spies and she was happy to see the familiar faces of her kin.

"Aaron, Jemia, Vorn, Bryn I am glad to see you alive."

"As are we to see you Marie."

The voice was Bryn's. Bryn was one of Marie's best friend growing up and the two friends hadn't laid eyes on each other in almost ten years.

Marie saw the sorrow in her eyes, and knew that there was bad news to be heard tonight.

"Tell me." She said.

"Forest was captured at the Rethwellan border and tortured into giving information to the Sun Priests about the Red Wanderers. When they showed up in Rethwellan they had been preceded by stories from Karsian traders that they were murderers and brigands. They were chased back into Karse where the soldiers were waiting. My Lady, Forest was found two days later in a mud bog, his teeth had been pulled."

Marie swore harshly, but gestured that Bryn should continue.

"The soldiers came too close to Jkatha for the tribes to like. As far as we know the tribes of Jkatha have taken in your mother's kin as refugees. They will remember The White Crows and the Red Wanderers from the first battles."

Marie sighed in relief that her people were not doomed as she had originally suspected.

Vorn had been with her during their escape from the badlands into Valdemar's no man's land. He had taken charge of Jake and Gruen and the others when she had stayed to fight the surmountable forces of Karse that had followed them to the front door of Valdemar. Now he stood tall and healthy before her, the wounds he had sustained that day were healed and he actually smiled at her.

"My Lady, our people are making their way to Haven as we speak, they will be here within the next cycle of the moon. We are well, thanks to your swords." He said honorably.

"Our dead gave me their strength that day." She answered.

Jemia was the next to speak, and when she did it was plain to Marie that Vorn's success had been a small candle flame in the wake of the living threat of Karse.

"Great Lady, there are more than just red shadows that the Sun Priests have cast. They are employing magicians, who can conjure many frightening things. However there is hope behind the clouds, there is change occurring in Karse, but it will be many years before it is of use to us. I cannot stay beyond this night, I must return to Karse if we are to lay influence in this change."

"I grant thee leave, be careful, be swift, and be watchful." Marie said in her authoritative voice.

Jemia bowed low and then slipped back into the shadows and then was gone. Marie turned then to Aaron, who had always been the silent one amongst her people, but for some reason would talk to her for hours. Their friendship was like that of twin siblings, and there was nothing they wouldn't say to the other. Aaron had always been in Valdemar ever since her father Ivorn had died. Marie had sent Aaron to Valdemar knowing that eventually Karse and Valdemar would be at war again. Anyone who went to war with Karse would aid her people, even if indirectly.

"Aaron, my most trusted Eye, what have you to tell me?" Marie asked him.

"I have watched you since you arrived in this city, and I will watch you still." He said

"Why do you watch me?" Marie asked

"I watch you as I watch others. Others who watch your every move, others who tell Karse where you are, where you go, who you are with."

"Karse knows." It wasn't a question Marie was asking.

"Yes, Karse knows. Karse will send arrow men, Karse wants you silenced. There are many who watch you, and so I watch them. You are never alone Lady, trust in that."

Marie nodded a bit stiffly in reaction to the news that Karse was intending to send assassins to kill her. That they could penetrate the borders of Valdemar meant that someone was paying large amounts of gold for their services. However the fact that she almost never left Collegium, meant that the eyes that watched her were in the Collegium. The realization made her skin crawl.

Vorn would stay within Haven and aid Aaron, while Bryn was headed back into Rethwellan. Marie gave Bryn one of the thorn boxes and hugged her friend as they had done so many times as children before watching her sprint through the city and out of sight.

Vorn was staying in an inn on the other side of Merchant's Row, near to the _Smithery Stop._ He was posing as a journeyman, and knew the ins and outs of every tavern and inn in the city. His expertise had already earned him a small band of friends who were willing to risk a little for him. Vorn had always been a ladies man, so it came as no surprise when Vorn told Marie that most of his friends were of the female variety. In fact the reason for Alberich's delay in catching her earlier that night was because Vorn had asked one of his "friends" to stall him for a few minutes. Marie blinked, but then smirked at her Eye's efficiency.

"Some things never change." She muttered.

"Only the things that matter Lady Fox." He teased before slipping through the window.

Marie and Aaron were climbing a high wall some time later on their way back to Collegium when he finally asked her a straight question.

"When you arrived in Collegium Square, I was there. I saw you acknowledge the dark man from Karse, Herald Alberich is his name. I watched you take your leave from him. The more I watched you the more I came to understand. He is the man you bestowed your gift to, isn't he?" Aaron asked evenly.

Marie stopped climbing and looked over her shoulder at Aaron. She didn't say anything, nor move her head, but the softness in her eyes told Aaron that he was correct.

Neither one spoke until they were safely within the grounds of the Collegium, and Marie was unbinding her snood, letting her braid loose. She walked in the direction of Companion's Field, and found Orestes under the same tree they had shared the shade from earlier that day.

The Companion inclined his head in Aaron's direction, and Aaron being a gentleman bowed back.

_This is one of your shadows?_

_Yes._

_He is very good at what he does, I have not sensed him before._

_That is why he is my Eye._

"What is your Companion's name?" Aaron finally asked.

"Orestes. He chose me during the last battle, and he had a role in saving our family."

"He is magnificent."

"Yes he is."

Orestes whinnied his thanks, and pawed the ground in a happy gesture.

"Aaron, it is good to see you." Marie told him quietly.

"I know the feeling." He answered.

"Were you there when Alberich and I were alone?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes, I didn't know if he meant you harm or not, Herald or no Herald he is intimidating."

"And do you still think he could do me harm?"

"I do, but not the kind that makes graves. Only the kind that makes grief." Aaron explained.

Thinking back to what Talamir said, Marie continued to defend the weapons-master.

"He still has it."

"I know, I've seen it in his hand, it has been well cared for. Did you ever tell him?"

"Not then, there wasn't time for that, and I was much too young to fully understand it."

"I remember. I also remember not being able to speak to my best friend for two years while the Clan shunned you. Was all of that time worth it? Is it worth it now?" he pestered.

"It has always been worth it."

There was a pause,

"Will you tell him?"

"I will when he wants to be told." She said.

Aaron nodded.

"I've missed you Marie, but I understand why you sent me here, it was the right thing to do. I must admit, I was surprised and even angrier with Inan then you were when I found him here. He never saw me of course, but I couldn't understand for years why he wouldn't have come back for you. I love you like my own twin, and I know that I would have come back for you in a heartbeat." He expressed.

"I know, and I am grateful." She said.

"I must go before dawn, but know that wherever you go one of us will be watching your back."

Aaron hugged her tightly before sprinting in the direction of the palace.

_Why haven't you told Alberich the significance of the carved fox?_

_I fear the reaction._

_Alberich loves you._

_I know, it isn't his reaction I fear._

_You still believe that you cannot love him?_

_I was not raised to fall in love with men, only to care for them or kill them._

_Humans have the greatest capacity for love of any being in this world, and I know your soul little love, you have love for him, you must simply learn to use it._

_Orestes, the real question is will Alberich let me?_

….

A/N: neuprimny osten is Czech for "Hollow-hearted Thorn" thanks for reading and reviewing.


	12. Chapter 12

Unknown Wars Chapter Twelve: Footprints in the Wind

Only four Eyes had made it into Valdemar, one was confirmed dead, and six still remained unknowns. The Longest Day was still a couple of months away, but Marie felt an old knot form once again in the pit of her stomach, and it was tugging on her heart. She sat awake all that night, on the high gable roof of the trainee's dormitories.

It was calming for her to sit up high and feel the wind sweep through her hair. It was as if she were back in the desert, sitting on the high plateaus at dusk. She closed her eyes dreamily and saw the fires below sending up sparks into the night air, she heard the laughter of children, and the songs of the old women, but then she opened her eyes to the black quiet of the Collegium and sighed.

She had tucked her shroud into her sling bag and now she wore only the tunic and breeches. Her gloves and boots hung on an extra long protruding stone in the middle of the wall between her window and the roof. She would collect them when she went in, but for now she sat on the clay shingles and slowly unbraided her hair. She combed her tresses with her fingers and lost her self in thoughts of home, and a brief childhood without war.

The horizon was turning silver, and the air had become chilly, when Marie finally made the descending climb to her window. She gently pushed the window inward and tossed her bag and her boots onto the floor next to her bed. While she was climbing backward into her room, she couldn't see, or hear the figure leaning against the door frame watching her. When she had one foot on the bed and one foot on the windowsill she sensed movement behind her and reached for a blade, only to remember belatedly that they were on the floor completely out of reach.

Rough, strong hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into the room and twirled her around and pushed her up against the wall.

Marie tried to shirk the hold on her upper arms, but she was restrained with her hands up near her head. Frightened that this was one of the arrow-men Karse might have sent, she began fighting in a manner to honor her namesake. She clawed, and kicked, and managed to get her head angled in such a way so that she could bite one of the wrists that pinned her.

A harsh grunt led to Marie's opening, the hand that held her right wrist loosened and she was able to wriggle free of her captor. Going for the quickest exit, she launched herself back out the window, but in her haste to be free she couldn't grab hold of any of the stones around the ledge.

As her torso sailed through the still open window, her hands missed the sill and the stone holds below. Her room was on the fourth floor, and she knew instantly that she would have to relax every muscle in her body if she had any hope at surviving.

She needn't have worried. Her launch through the window had lined her fall up perfectly with a hay trap that was resting below her window on its way to the stables.

Landing a bit hard on all fours in the back of the wagon caused the driver to wet himself when the she came crashing down behind him out of nowhere!

Marie groaned at the surface scrapes on her knees before rolling ungracefully out of the wagon and into the trodden grass path used by the gardeners and stable hands. Not even giving a glance in the direction of her room, she missed the other inhabitants of the girl's side poking their heads out of their windows trying to figure out what the ruckus was.

Even though there was an ache in her left knee, Marie pushed herself up, ignoring the hay driver asking if she was okay, she ran towards the Herald's Wing. Through her panic she could only register the footsteps that followed her. Suddenly she was back in the woods near Valdemar's border, pushing through the snow with her people. She could hear them behind her then, just as she could now.

All she could feel was her own heartbeat and the dull ache of her injured leg, but she couldn't hear the voices calling her name, or discern friend from foe. All she could hear were the footsteps, hurried, and quicker than hers, drawing nearer and nearer. Something snapped inside Marie and she broke from a run into a dead sprint, as though her life depended on it. Only one thing made sense to her at that moment, it was the only thing she could hear apart from those terrible footsteps…

Within her chest, as though it rested beneath the drum of her own heart, she felt the rhythmic beat of another. It was strange to feel it there at first, after so many years of not. When she was younger she could have felt Inan's heartbeat along with her own, but the day he disappeared in battle was the last she had felt it. Yet, this beat was larger and stronger than Inan's, and it rumbled within her, guiding her feet in its direction.

Instinctively she yielded to it as though it were the most natural thing in the world, and felt an overwhelming need to be with the other that leapt in her breast as she did.

Marie was so wrapped up in her flight that she missed Elcarth shouting at her from only twenty yards away. The other Heralds who had been alerted through Marie's panic, had felt it with such a force that many had been woken from deep slumbers, were coming to windows and out of doors just in time to watch her speed by and them launch herself at a solid stone wall.

Marie felt the footsteps close enough to catch her when she began climbing, but she heard them cease soon after and it was clear that they wouldn't be following her up the wall. She gasped for air, feeling her lungs burn, as she felt for the next stones in her accent.

The guards didn't know what to make of a trainee they all had seen around, suddenly climbing a wall like she was an insect, and then rushing past them on the high wall like she was running from a fire. The looked at each other, and then down the wall at the gathering of Heralds and shrugged their shoulders…maybe it was some kind of new training exercise?

… …. …..

Herald Inan was walking with Herald Alberich, and their Companions in the main square as the sun was just touching the grass in the gardens. Alberich was in mid-sentence trying to discern the territories of Inan's homeland when Inan and Staive stopped stock still and both looked toward the great wall.

Alberich was about to ask him what was wrong, but Kantor spoke his warning first,

_Black Fox is coming your way._

That was all his Companion was able to get out, before Marie came bursting out of a side door and came running straight for them. Her hair was free, and she looked like she had seen a ghost, but it was more than that…her left knee was bleeding and although she was moving rather quickly, there was definitely a limp in her gait. Even more troubling to Alberich was the fact that she wasn't wearing her boots. Instead her feet were scratched and dirty from running in the jagged gravel. Beside him Inan had become flushed and a shocked expression was plainly stamped to his face.

Inan felt as though his own heart was about to explode, but his breathing remained normal, then he realized that he was feeling Marie's. Her heart was beating from both excursion and fear?

What could be causing her to fear?

But before he could rally his voice to ask her, she was sweeping past him and straight into Alberich's arms. Once there, she didn't cry but she was shaking and seemed to be burrowing herself as far into the Weaponsmaster's torso as she could get.

Alberich was a full head taller than her, and she could rest her head against his shoulder. In the background Inan could see Orestes riding in at full speed into the square, coming around to stand between his Chosen, and the gate that connected the Gardens to the Square beyond the wall.

Inan was trying to piece it together when he heard something coming through his link with Marie that made everything fall into place.

Footsteps.

However nothing else seemed to be reaching his mind through their blood link. No wonder she was so afraid, something had triggered her to only hear the footsteps that followed her, regardless of whether they were friendly or hostile.

Inan looked at Orestes, and then at his shaking sister, and then back at the gate. He could hear the Heralds coming, and he could discern which voices belonged to which feet, even if she couldn't. He blinked a few times trying to ground his thoughts in what was happening with Marie.

Clan Folk had been living in the desert for hundreds of years, and the bloodline stretched farther than the borders and territories known to Valdemar. With so many people coming together it was not unusual to see more than one kind of Gift in any one generation. However in the Black Fox Clan, as it was the youngest of the Clan Folk, those members who had a Gift of any kind, was rare.

Inan's mother had been born into the Red Wanderers, and when Inan was little and his maternal grandparents still lived, they would sometimes tell him tales of his ancestors who had Gifts. One in particular was his maternal great, great grandfather Drannon Thorn.

Drannon Thorn had a gift that allowed him to hear the enemies' footsteps, usually days before they could be seen by the scouts. His Gift had been strong, and well trained. By the time he was fifteen he could discern friend from foe and when he was thirty he could tell you distinguishing characteristics about them, weaknesses and such, all from the sound their feet made.

His grandparents called him an Ear of the Wind.

His mother had explained that those with weaker forms of the Gift could hear footsteps of one or two people at a time. It was those with the stronger Gift who could hear great masses of people. As his mother had explained, the stronger the Gift, the more people the owner could hear, and from further away. However the Gift had to be honed, otherwise the untrained person wouldn't be able to distinguish footsteps from allies or foes when they were scared, or unbalanced in some other way.

Unfortunately when Marie was born it had taken the life of their mother and both his grandparents had passed on. There wasn't anyone left in either the Black Foxes, or the Red Wanderers who could train or even recognize her Gift.

A cold chill froze the breath in his lungs, as he thought of his sister no doubt having this Gift at full strength most of her life, and not knowing what to do with it. Gifts were wonderful, but they were also dangerous if they weren't handled properly. In the back of his mind Inan suddenly recalled the tales he had heard about Lavan Firestorm's untamed Gift, and he swallowed thickly as he glanced at Marie.

Inan had always thought it was just a story his Elders told the littles at bedtime, but after being in Valdemar and experiencing his own Mindspeech Gift, he had new appreciation for his grandparent's tales.

Tentatively linking his mind with Marie's aura once more Inan could feel the fear surrounding her, and hence the barrier that blocked her ability to focus on individual footsteps. The soft tendrils of their connection also found the small embers of her recent memories, and he could almost feel the cold wind through the snowy trees that she had pulled their people through last winter. The fear wrapped around that last memory, was directly linked to the fear she felt now, of Karse's minions.

Inan withdrew from his trance and turned to face the direction of the Gate, he would need to act as a translator for this situation, and it was imperative that until Marie was able to clam down, that no one get too close to her. Staive followed Inan twenty steps in front of Marie and Alberich, and stood like a battle line protecting the two Heralds behind them.

Finally they appeared, ragged, tired, some of them heaving great gulps of air, some standing alert and battle ready. Inan was about ready to explain the situation when he saw Red at the front of the crowds, coming towards him with a rag wound around his wrist.

"Red? What happened to your wrist?"

"She bit me," he exclaimed, although there was more surprise than malice in his voice.

"What?" Inan couldn't have heard that right?

"Marie. I didn't know it was her, I thought it might be a thief or something! I had no idea she could climb in and out of her window like that!" he rambled.

"Red, you need to slow down. What happened?" Inan asked, needing to know exactly what was going on.

"I went looking for her last night, to talk to her, but I couldn't find her. I thought she might be with Alberich, and I don't know… I got jealous and lost my head for a bit because I couldn't find him either. So by the time dawn came I was really just worried about her, so I thought I'd check and see if she got home okay, and I saw this black figure coming through the window, and I didn't think it could be her, you know?"

Inan nodded, he was pretty sure he knew what happened next.

Sure enough Red confirmed him fears, he had tackled her realizing too late who it was, and unintentionally setting off a string of events that no one, without a selective patch of Far Sight, could have seen coming.

He sighed and glanced over his shoulder happy to see that Alberich was handling this so well. Looking back to the small crowd he thanked the Bright Ones that the only Heralds assembled wouldn't ask too many questions, and had all known Alberich long enough to know that he wasn't all stone and sword.

"What happened?" Herald Keren demanded.

"A Gift gone awry." Inan muttered.

"A gift? What gift?" Ylsa interjected.

"One special to my own people Ylsa, but don't worry you can train it like you do Fetching and Mindspeech."

"Is she okay?" Elcarth asked concerned.

Inan had to bite his lip from laughing, Elcarth had been in such a hurry that he was wearing two different shoes.

Inan shook his head, chuckled a brief 'she's fine', before addressing his Companion.

_She must have sent out quite an alarm._

_She did. There really wasn't much warning, and all of a sudden it was ringing in the hearts of most of the teaching Heralds that she was in trouble._

_Didn't Orestes know that it was Red?_

_He says his Chosen was so scared that she blocked him completely, though he doesn't know how?_

_I do, her Gift is totally untrained, and in shear panic, she could probably block out a city of Companions if she chose._

A small muffled voice brought Inan's attention out of the conversation and his head around to look in Marie's direction.

"What was that little fox?" he coaxed.

Marie lifted her face, which bore a calmer expression, towards Inan and Red before repeating,

"I'm sorry I bit you." She told Red.

"Don't be, if I were a bad guy, you would have done right."

She nodded before lowering her head back onto Alberich's shoulder.

While Inan addressed the gathered Heralds and assured them all was well, Alberich was whispering into Marie's ear.

"You and I must speak. There is much we need to say to one another."

Marie only nodded.

Alberich pulled away from her and stood at an arms length from her, and gestured toward the side door into the palace. Marie felt like she were walking to an unknown doom that awaited her at the end of a myriad of corridors and tapestry hung hallways. At last Alberich found the empty Cartography classroom and ushered her inside.

He pulled out two chairs, and they sat at a table across from the other. Marie looked vacantly at one of the large maps that hung on the wall, while Alberich looked only at her face.

She was breathing normally now, and she had ceased shaking, but he sensed uneasiness in her seated position, something he had never seen in her before. He knew he would have to start, but he didn't want to admit that he was suspicious of her activities or her liaisons.

Dean Elcarth found them fifteen minutes later, and when he entered the room, Marie gazed at him as though she had been expecting him sooner.

Elcarth nodded his head at her and pulled himself a chair to sit at the end of the small table between the dark Herald and Marie. After the affectionate embrace he had witnessed this morning it was clear that whatever the bond that held these two in its grasp was more than just shared history and physical attraction. Although he was puzzled, his own Companion and half a dozen Heralds he had spoken too, including Talamir, continued to swear that these two were not life-bonded, although Talamir had added somewhat under his breath _in the traditional sense._

Elcarth had yet to figure out what they meant precisely.

However now, he had some very complicated questions to ask Marie.

"Marie, I want to know why you were in Haven last night." He began.

Marie finally brought her eyes to meet his, although she did not keep his gaze long and let it fall to the table in front of her. She had anticipated that Alberich would report to Elcarth before speaking with her about the subject, but she couldn't be angry knowing that if it had been her student walking into danger she would have done the same thing.

"I went to meet my Eyes."

Elcarth had read the journal about seven times by now and was as well versed in the concept of The Eyes as Alberich had been made a few weeks earlier.

"Why did you not tell anyone?"

"Because they do not generally trust Heralds, and it was not anyone's business but mine."

"You were in a part of town that is known for its dangerous character."

"Yes."

"How is it, that you could travel through the dregs of Haven without fear, and yet you were shaken by a small tussle in your room, with another Herald?"

"I did not know he was another Herald."

"Who did you think it was?" Elcarth continued

Marie fell silent for a time, keeping her eyes fixed on the wood grain.

When Alberich was sure she wasn't going to answer he asked Elcarth's question with more grit in his voice.

"I thought it might be an assassin." She said finally.

"Why?"

"Because of the news I received last night."

"Will you not confide it?" Alberich asked gently.

"Herald, there are things I can trust you with, my life, for instance. My own secrets, they are yours if you want them, but the secrets of my people are not mine to give out to just anyone."

Alberich started at the use of their formal title. She had never used it when they were alone before, and a part of him was hurt that she would address him as she would were she not a trainee. Even in his situation as a figure of authority, he couldn't ignore that there was a distance between them that hadn't existed before.

Am I just anyone to you? He longed to ask aloud, but kept his tongue.

Marie brought her eyes up in the next instant almost as if she had heard him.

"I can only tell you about me, and for now that will have to suffice."

Both Elcarth and Alberich nodded in agreement of this term.

"Elcarth? You, Talamir and I have been discussing the intricacies of my life as a Clan member for almost three months, and I know that not all of my answers have been the most descriptive of explanations. There are things about me that I do not like to talk about, generally because they are in the past and while they do not hurt me anymore, they can hurt others.

"What I have to say is neither pleasant, or simple. It involves many pieces and the story covers many different experiences in my life, experiences that did not make it into the journal."

Elcarth's eyes sharpened on the prospect of more information, and gave her an empathic smile. Being Dean, he had listened to many tales of trainees who had come from less than healthy places of origin.

"I have, as Inan mentioned a special ability inherent in my mother's people. It is called the Ear of the Wind, and it is like a sixth sense that allows me to hear, from even days away, the footfalls of those who might chase or hunt me and mine. It is what lets me know if someone is behind me, and whether or not they be friendly or hostile. That is how I knew you were about to attack me in the Salle that day we sparred."

She leaned into the table, crossing her arms in front of her and clasping her hands around her elbows. The run had taken a lot out of her, but she knew that she wouldn't be leaving this room until she explained herself fully to both of these Heralds.

"When my mother's parents were alive they told the ancestral stories to my brother, and he told me as a young child about our mother's great grandfather, who also had this Gift. My mother died when I was born, so there was no one to train me, I have been using it on guess for most of my life, and it works the best when I am able to keep my emotions simple. However this morning, I was so tired that my fear overwhelmed me, and I wasn't able to discern anything other than my fear, those footsteps, and the need to flee to safety." She explained in a rush.

Alberich listened intently, suddenly having a unique perspective on why she kept such tight control of her emotions. If she let her emotions rule her body and mind her gift would spin out of control more often.

"Why did you go to Herald Alberich?" Elcarth asked, only to be interrupted by the man himself.

"I think the better question is how did she find me? I was not in my usual place." He extrapolated.

"I didn't know it was him I sought until I was there in his arms. In the kind of panic that held me, there was no room for anything except escape, yet when I was running I felt something, a heartbeat that wasn't my own, and it was steady and strong. Something in my mind said I had to find that heartbeat, because only there would I be safe."

Why does it always has to be him? She thought idly. I gifted to him, although it is unacknowledged, but I have no idea what I mean to him, and bonds do not exists if the feelings are only felt one way.

"How many Eyes are there?" Elcarth suddenly redirected.

Anything else that might be said about the link between Alberich and his trainee was only their business, and although he was curious, it was not his place to ask for any other elaboration on that subject. His main reason for being there was to know what Marie was doing gallivanting around on rooftops, so said the watch guards, and climbing in and out of windows in the first place? She had told them she had gone to meet her Eyes, but there was more he needed to know.

Marie looked up at him, taking in the seriousness resting in his jaw, and the patience within his eyes. She was sorry then that she had waited so long to trust him, but in her heart she knew that all appearances could be deceiving, and she had no way of knowing when they first met whether he was real or not.

"Originally Eleven."

"And how many are there now?" Alberich pressed.

"I can only confirm four living and one dead, I'll know the fates of the other six by Summer Solstice." She confirmed wearily.

Elcarth leaned back in his seat, and pulled the leather journal out of his breast pocket, he placed it gently on the table and pushed it towards Marie with his left hand. She didn't reach for it, or take it back, she only looked at it, and then back into his eyes.

"I have read this volume cover to cover over five times, I think I have memorized most of it. What I found was hardening, sometimes shocking, and I am a man who thought I couldn't be shocked anymore. In all of its pages, your Eyes are mentioned only a handful of times, and not once are names, locations, or missions given. Who besides yourself knew about these spies of yours?"

Marie's eyes had slanted and she had let a few chuckles pass through her throat when he mentioned the number of times he had read it, but now she was still, and her expression contemplative.

"Each of my spies knows about the others, not necessarily where they are, but certainly who they are."

"How many of them are in Karse?"

"Two"

"And the others?"

"One in Hardorn, two in Valdemar, one in Jkatha, one in Rethwellan, one in Iftel, one in Oris, and one wandering."

"Wandering?" Alberich wondered.

"His location changes, as does his identity."

"Still to have such resources as far as Oris and Jkatha?" Elcarth beamed in hope.

"Yes, but you said there were eleven, yet you have only mentioned ten." Alberich noted

"The one confirmed dead, he was also in Rethwellan until recently." She said solemnly.

Both Senior Heralds nodded in recognition and sympathy.

"Will they, do you think, be receptive to working with Heralds? Are your Eyes able to communicate with more of us than just you?" Elcarth hoped.

"Eventually, I may be able to convince them that Heralds are trust worthy. While they will do whatever I ask of them, there are wheels turning and missions to be accomplished before I can bring that up with all of them. However…" She stopped.

"However I cannot speak for them." She finally added after a few moments.

"Marie, in your journal there is a number of passages that refer to the bounty. They imply that there is a bounty on your head, just as there was on your father's."

Marie nodded.

"Yet there was never a bounty on your brother's head. Why?"

"He was never the kind of threat that my father and I were."

"How do you mean? What was so important about the two of you?"

"We are the Generals."

Elcarth was still missing something, and he was beginning to become frustrated.

"Why was your father an outcast after such a glorious career in the Karse's military."

"He knew something about the Sun Priests, I cannot tell you what it was, but he knew something dark about them. Something that would threaten their standing and power hold in Karse."

Marie's hands were balled into fists on the table and her knuckles had long since turned white from her grip.

"What did you know?" Alberich interjected.

"It isn't about what I know, it's about what I've seen, what I've lived through…it's so much more than what I know." She said exhaustedly.

Marie rose from her chair and went to the window, unlatched the window frame and leaned far out of the opening.

Elcarth and Alberich were confused when they heard the soft clicking and chattering noises she was making. They became even more confused when she suddenly ceased and came back to the table without closing the window.

Alberich was trying to catch her eyes that were once more staring unseeing at the tabletop.

Elcarth was about to open his mouth when the light from the open widow flickered and then went out. When he turned his head he started in his seat as his eyes came to the two lean figures leaning up against the wall on either side of the closed window. Each was wearing a set of garments cut very similarly to the ones Marie was still wearing. Tunic, breeches, and a head shroud to conceal their faces. On their hands they each wore long fingerless gloves that stretched up their arms almost reaching their shoulders. While Marie's clothing was cut from a very finely woven cotton wool, dyed a musty black, theirs were a much lighter dust-colored grayish brown. Their presence in the room was stealthy, and they were intimidating even though they couldn't have been much larger than Marie.

Alberich looked to where Marie was sitting, not even looking at the two dark figures. He had pulled a dagger under the table, but he hadn't left his chair, for he could clearly make out the weapons in the belts of the two figures…

They were the same sickle blades that Marie usually carried with her.

Elcarth was looking between Marie's unbothered position in the chair beside him to the two mystery people five feet behind her.

Marie, who didn't turn to look at them, simply pushed out the two remaining chairs at the table with her foot and shifted forward in her chair until she was once again resting on her elbows.

Alberich watched the two figures walk with identical steps towards their seats, and sit stiffly on either side of Marie.

In a speech neither Herald understood, Marie made a clipped command, and both the figures reached to undo their own shrouds to reveal the sculpted faces of two young men, probably the same age or close to Marie herself. The one on Marie's right had dirty blond hair that seemed to be rebelling gravity and deep hazel eyes that held a certain amount of contempt in them as he stared back at Alberich. The other one had raven black hair, and the classic tanned skin of Karse, but his eyes were a vibrant green that sparkled like gems.

Simultaneously each shroud was set on the table, and after another bark from Marie, each stood and disarmed. On the table went two pairs of sickle blades, four short throwing daggers, two small vials of a milky liquid, Elcarth assumed was poison when he two blow darts appeared out of their tunics.

When their weapons had been displayed each man returned to their seats and glanced to Marie for further instruction.

Alberich had been watching Marie while her men followed her instructions without hesitation, question or defiance. He was impressed, and more than a little intrigued. It was a loyal show of respect for her own abilities that these two were so eager to follow her instruction. He glanced at them once when they stood, and stiffened when they reached for their weapons, but when it was clear that they weren't going to use them he returned his gaze to Marie.

Marie didn't dare look anywhere but at the wood pattern in front of her. She could feel Alberich's hawk-like gaze on her face, and she resolutely held her gaze firmly on the table top, not even breathing while her spies disarmed. She sighed heavily before addressing Elcarth's searching expression.

"Aaron," she said gesturing to her right, "Vorn" gesturing to her left.

Each man nodded to the Dean in turn, neither of them blinking.

"We are honored to meet you." Elcarth stated.

An uneasy silence was felt in the room at Elcarth's words, and it was clear to the two Heralds that these two spies would only answer to their General, and so all eyes rested on Marie.

Aaron raised his hand to her shoulder, and whispered very softly,

"My Lady? Lady Fox? What do you wish of us?"

Marie brought her head around to look at him, before nodding slightly.

"Heralds Alberich and Elcarth are two of nine Heralds within this Collegium that I have the most faith and trust in. They have extended their aid to our predicament. I have been trying to explain some things to them, and found that I am unable to do so because of the oaths I swore. I trust the both of you, as my clan, my friends, my advisers, and my spies. I ask you to say in my stead what I cannot." She ended with a shaky breath.

It was only then that she looked into Alberich's eyes and conveyed within her own how nervous she was about this conversation.

Aaron's eyes went a little wider at the prospect of sharing what he knew was a very delicate subject for his friend. Vorn had taken Marie's hand in his and was rubbing small circles in her palm, with a forlorn softness in his eyes. Aaron caught his attention and inclined his head minutely.

Vorn was startled, although he didn't let it show, Marie really was serious about her faith in these two Heralds if she wanted them to hear _that_ story. Beside him, he could feel her tremble and he understood. She had made some bad calls in her life, and she had paid dearly for it. As he thought about some of her early mistakes his gaze drifted back to the dark man across from him. His anger boiling behind his eyes as he looked at the man who didn't know what he had within his grasp and wouldn't take it? He hung his head and sighed quietly. Still holding Marie's hand he nodded his head towards Aaron and shifted in his seat to face the two older men before them.

He and Aaron had known Marie her whole life, and yes she had lost the respect of her family and clan once, but she had worked endlessly to restore their faith in her. In their opinion she had more than paid for her indiscretion ten times over, and yet she never gave in.

She was horrible on herself, and she refused to let anyone help her unless the need was dire. Yet both he and Aaron had witnessed on multiple occasions her acceptance of these white riders, and her willingness to let them help her. It had been astounding to see, after years of Marie Fox literally running herself ragged in the cause of saving her people; Marie had become a cause to these Heralds.

Vorn usually knew within seconds whether he was going to like someone or not, and although the Karsian man was dark, and sharp, and hard in public, he was also a man with a heart.

He wasn't completely sold on the idea of Marie and this Herald being together, but he couldn't hate the man either. Aaron, he knew would take a lot longer to form a decent opinion of Marie's choice in mate. He had always been over protective of her, even more than Inan ever had. So many mothers of the clan had been sure that Marie and Aaron would have made a go of it had she not promised her life to another. Hell, some of them were still certain that Marie would eventually come to her senses and abandon her pledge.

However her warriors knew better.

If Marie had pledged herself to a man of Karse, then she would stand by that decision until the day she ceased to breath. Looking over at the Karsian man once more Vorn thought harshly,

I hope you're worth it, Herald.

Vorn turned his head away from Alberich in favor of looking at the man who could have been his own father and said in native Valdemarian,

"What do you wish to know Herald?"

Elcarth looked at Marie who was leaning back in her chair, slightly more relaxed now, and looking at the one who spoke.

"Why is there a price on Marie's head?"

Vorn chuckled then, surprising Elcarth.

"She's a thorn in their side, trained solely by her father and the clan warriors, she's the best of us all. They've sent armies, their best assassins and she's still breathing, still fighting, still winning." He said cockily.

"Our Lady has been captured by Karse four times in her life, and she has faced her execution on two of those said occasions, yet here she sits before us." Aaron added.

Alberich's attention snapped from Aaron to Marie who locked eyes with him. He had no idea she had lived through such an experience.

"If she was meant for execution, then she must have spent some significant amount of time with the interrogators." Alberich surmised, never dropping his gaze.

Marie didn't flinch.

"She did, she also spent time under the care of the Sun Priests on her next visit, shall we say, to their incarceration system?" Vorn answered.

"And I guess because each time her holders were sure of her demise, they might have let some rather tender information slip?" Elcarth concluded.

Aaron and Vorn nodded, and Marie finally let her gaze drop from Alberich and returned it to the table.

"What happened after she came back to the desert?" Alberich prodded.

"The information she garnered was given to her Eyes, and we used it to our advantage. Unfortunately for Karse, it meant depleted resources at the end of your last war with them." Vorn drawled.

"And that was the second time she was taken?" Elcarth asked, seeking clarification.

Aaron shook his head.

"We should really start from the beginning, otherwise none of this will make much sense." Vorn murmured in Aaron's ear.

"Lady, you said there were others you trusted?"

Marie nodded, her face remaining a blank mask, but she leaned in Elcarth's direction telling him to send for the others.

Alberich stood, and offered to collect them himself.

Marie stared at his back as he left the room, and felt her face crinkle and her eyes sting.

Vorn collected her before she lost control of her self, and she sat there with her head bent against her friend, idly aware of Aaron's hand still resting n her shoulder, and his soft conversation with Elcarth.

"You seem very close with our Marie."

"We grew up together, she is as we stated, the best of us. There isn't anything we wouldn't do for her, and if that means a formal alliance with Valdemar then so be it. But she is more than my Lady General, she is my best friend."

"I see. Have you been watching over her this whole time?"

"Every moment since she arrived in Haven."

"What do you think of us, Heralds, I mean?"

"I think that you have the best intentions in your hearts, but, in my experience, sometimes that isn't enough. She trusts you, so I will endeavor to do the same in time."

Elcarth mulled this over in his head, as they waited for Alberich's return. This Aaron was a slightly cold fellow, but his attentions to Marie belied something of his true nature. Elcarth understood that like Marie, these people would not trust easily or quickly. However their trust in Marie was awe inspiring, and he hoped that they would come to see that her trust hadn't been misplaced.


	13. Chapter 13

Unknown Wars Chapter Thirteen: Pieces of a Lost History

The Heralds Alberich had gone in search of were scattered around the palace grounds. Rather than waste time running around for an hour on his own, he borrowed a few of the page boys from their other duties to save his temperament.

He stayed in the hall to direct their arrival, and while he waited he was able to mull through his own chaotic thoughts about the new information.

So much of Marie;s behavior he could dismiss with assumptions of her life-long relationship with battle, but he realized that there was so much more to her slightly detached demeanor than he could have ever hoped to guess. What seemed to be cold detachment was most likely some dormant pathology from her stay within one or more of Karse's prisons.

He vowed to reserve any more reflections until he possessed the rest of the information her people would tell them. By the time Lord Marshal and the Queen arrived his own stoic expression had resumed occupancy of his features.

The two Heralds had come immediately from Court, and had the gate of official business in their strides. Selenay tried to read her old friend's face to gage the seriousness of the occasion but was surprised to find it blank of any clues. Kyril for his part didn't seem to notice this lack of personal nuance and held the door for his Queen.

Herald Inan was the next to arrive and he didn't;t even pretend to hide the anxiety he felt at such a summons. Nearly three paces behind him, were equally nervous footsteps belonging jointly to Jeri, who couldn't for the life of her mother understand why she was being pulled from classes for a meeting with Elcarth?

Heralds Keren and Ylsa as two of Marie's most staunchly supporters as well as her teachers, came in tow with Herald Talamir who might have been the only individual unfazed by this unorthodox gathering.

Marie had slumped against Vorn and let him gently rub soft circles on her back when Alberich had gone off in search of her requested audience.

Vorn looked down at his friend and frowned; she had that stiffness in her shoulders when she was lost in deep thought. He looked over her shoulder at Aaron whose expression yielded the same worry over their red haired friend.

The door had been admitting new faces for some time but Vorn and Aaron had to stop themselves from showing their open disgust for Herald Inan as he entered. In this new company it wouldn't be polite, besides which, Marie wanted him here so they would each hold their tongues...for now.

As Alberich resumed his seat his eyes caught Vorn giving him an annoyed, shrewd look. His eyes were small slits in his face as he scowled at the Weapons-master. In his peripheral vision he noticed that Aaron's head was focused in the direction of the door, and the subsequent people entering the room.

Marie seemed to be huddled against Vorn, taking refuge in her friend, and although Alberich understood that she felt safe there he was internally conflicted at the sight.

Something inside wanted to stand and demand that the younger man take his arms off his _what_?

What would he say?

Friend? Student? Beloved?

Ylsa observed Alberich with scrutiny before she nudged her life-mate and swung her head in the dark man's direction. To understand the moods of Herald Alberich was no small task, and one had to be nearly gifted in the art of spotting subtlety. To anyone else except perhaps Elcarth, Alberich might look slightly disinterested, but Ylsa knew that he could only be agitated or annoyed when his brow furrowed like it currently was.

Keren only shook her head with bemusement. _If those two don't get over whatever fence stands between them I might have to hog tie them together and force them to straighten it out!_ She thought fiercely with a small weird grin on her face.

Talamir didn't seem fazed at all by the two strangers; in fact Keren was sure she had seen a smile playing at his lips when he finally entered the dimly lit room.

The table was made to seat eight around it, but Talamir was a thin bag of bones compared to the others and could easily fit at the corner. He may have been the last to arrive but he knew the nature of this meeting the moment he closed the door and turned around to the rest.

Marie had shifted away from any pose that might reveal weakness as the assembled persons had started to arrive. Now she was sitting closer to the table leaning forward her manner serious but her gaze never reaching further than the table in front of her.

Talamir pursed his lips a little at this cold avoidant posture but said nothing. He pulled up a rickety chair between Alberich and sat at Elcarth's left and leaned into the corner of the oak wood. The sandy haired man he had seen before at several public events since mid-winter, but the dark haired one he had only seen once, on his way back from a late session with the Queen about three days ago. He had assumed he was a non-affiliated student or some bored highborn son out for a nighttime walk. The blues were famous for loitering around the palace at all hours, and so Talamir hadn't thought anything of it. As he continued to gaze at the young man, he was surprised to see said young man turn his head in Talamir's direction and give him a sly wink.

When the others were assembled and seated around the long table, Elcarth gestured shortly to Aaron and Vorn.

Vorn offered her his hand under the table which she immediately grasped like a lifeline. Aaron did the same and was surprised to feel her hand shake in his own. Marie's eyes, they noticed, had turned once again to the tabletop and were glassy and distant. Her breathing was steady but it was coming in shorter breaths, although it was doubtful that any of the others had caught it. Vorn and Aaron shared a look of concern, as they realized what it meant…

She was scared.

Marie forced her face to become dead and expressionless, her eyes cold and hard, and although she wanted desperately to look at Alberich she kept her gaze firmly on the wood surface in front of her.

Vorn seemed to understand her silence and nodded minutely,

"Heralds. We are Aaron Wanderer, and Vorn Crow. We represent the bond of the Four Clans, and are here at the wishes of Lady Fox to enlighten you, her surrogate family, of certain details that she cannot tell you herself."

Although he spoke quite clearly and with a strong conviction, he was nervous. He had never addressed a party such as this, but at the same time he had never been asked to divulge Marie's history before, and neither he nor Aaron were entirely sure where to start. Aaron was giving him an approving look, so he supposed he had given an appropriate speech.

"Why can't she tell us herself? Why does she need you to do it for her?" Jeri insisted.

"Because she took oaths." Inan's voice came from the far end of the table.

Inan had entered the room three steps behind Alberich. When he crossed the threshold he came face to face with Marie's best childhood friend. Aaron Wanderer was the last person he expected to see in Collegium, let alone donning the garb of a Clan spy. After the initial shock he had nodded to the younger man and found a chair in the back of the room. He noted that Vorn was cradling Marie against him and shooting daggers at Alberich. He wasn't sure how much her protectors knew about their fledgling relationship, but it was clear that they wouldn't approve. He sighed, if there were Eyes in Haven then nothing they would hear today would bode well in the long run.

"Would you care to start Inan?" Aaron intoned.

Inan caught the hidden edge in the request, but nodded.

"In another life, when I was younger, Marie disappointed her clan. Some called it betrayal, and in punishment she was shunned for two years. For the entirety of that time she was expected to act as a kind of indentured servant to the other clan members. It was traditional that she earn back the respect and trust of the clan, one member at a time, before the punishment was lifted.

"Upon the completion of her penance she took a series of oaths as an act of supplication to ensure that she would never betray her family again. As a result there are many things that she cannot speak about, however she can request others within the clan to speak on her behalf should the need to share information arise. In this case, as two of her most trusted advisors we will tell you what we can, or what we feel is important for you to know."

While he spoke he kept his eyes on Marie, waiting for her to react to his words in any way, but it seemed as though she was resolute in not being a part of this conversation.

"How did she betray your family?" Ylsa asked.

Talamir's head came up as if to admonish his grandchild's bonded but Vorn answered her before he could speak.

"She spared the life of an enemy." Came his terse reply.

Five pairs of eyes looked blatantly at Alberich while Inan shared a tense look with Aaron.

Alberich, for his part, seemed to go very still, and Talamir was sure that if the light were better they could have seen him pale. Talamir glanced over at Marie who hadn't moved, but he did notice that she had closed her eyes.

Inside Marie was fighting for control; she was holding Vorn's hand so tightly that it shook in her lap. When Jeri asked her question Marie could almost hear her heart stop, they would answer because she had told them to tell what she could not, but she almost wished that they wouldn't. Talamir and Elcarth could probably have guessed, but she hadn't intended to ever tell Alberich how much she had suffered by saving his life.

In her mind Orestes was there to hold her, to bring her a calm she didn't have on her own. Feeling relief in her Companion's presence she gave herself wholly to him, and while she was aware of what was being discussed around her she ceased to care. All she knew was she was safe; she was loved no matter what her spies said about her. She closed her eyes and rested with Orestes in the warmth of their bond, and became still to everything else.

"That's all?" Jeri added, still quite confused.

The affronting nature of such a question caused Inan to glare icily at the trainee, until a glance at Keren's expression reminded him that Jeri was born and raised in the heart of Haven's Court, and was largely sheltered from the harsh realities of life. This only, stopped him from snapping his response.

"We are a warrior clan. From the first moment we receive our first weapons we understand that our war is about survival and that the cost of not killing even one of the enemy force means that untold numbers of your family could die instead.

"Vyhnanec is not like Valdemar, the only things that hold value in that hell are your family and the faith you have in them. She had the opportunity to kill him, and he had spent most of that battle and the one before it killing or capturing many of her family. She won the dual, but spared his life. It was only her age that stopped her family from executing her on the spot."

As Inan went further into the reasons for the punishment the more animated he became and the more his voice rose. His friends and colleagues around him had never seen him so alive with fury, and yet in the next instant he was quiet and reserved once more.

Jeri on the other hand, hand gone a little grey as the implications became clear. Next to her Ylsa had thrown an arm around the younger woman as Inan went on.

"She was given this opportunity to prove herself, because she was so young when the incident took place. She was also one of the best fighters we had left. The clan had taken such losses that they couldn't afford to loose her, despite her faults. Her family forgave her in time, it was the right move in the end." He said hollowly.

"How did she earn their trust back?" Keren asked,

"The Fox Clan guarded a hoard of Amethyst caverns within their territory, that wealth was sought by Karse and Hardorn on a number of occasions during her two year punishment. The amethyst stones are the only currency Clanfolk use, and cutting them is hard work. She worked in the caverns for six months, and then she worked for the Caretakers during battle seasons. After her first year of penance she was allowed to fight with the warriors again, she survived a rather nasty battle with Karsian brigands, you know them as Tedrels. Many of our seasoned warriors were badly injured during that raid, but she came out of it gloriously. She used herself as bait and drove a large band of them off our failing fighters. About twenty or so followed her over a cliff, giving the rest of us the advantage to finish their captains off." Aaron explained proudly.

"She was ready to die for her clan, even though we had shunned her for almost two years. She led the others to a plateau that is riddled with wide cliffs overlooking canyons. She managed to jump over one and land safely on the other side. The twenty or so that followed her jumped to their deaths. It was a risky move, but it worked, and it provided us with a new tactic…they fall for it every time." Vorn giggled impishly to the horror on Elcarth's face.

"It is how it is." Inan whispered to his friend.

Alberich looked from Inan to Marie and then inexplicably to Vorn and Aaron, who regarded his inquiry with cold eyes. Alberich knew what they were asking, was he worth all that? Alberich felt the odd glow of admiration for Marie triple in size within his heart, but it was small in comparison to the icy stone in his stomach that was confirmed in the stares of her Eyes…he wasn't getting the whole story.

"What about the bounty on her head, where does that fit in?" Elcarth prodded.

"That didn't take effect for years after that. Ivorn Fox, her father was Clan General until his death. Marie's punishment was lifted when she was eleven. Ivorn didn't pass on until she was fifteen."

Aaron heard Inan's sharp intake of breath, and dropped his gaze. While part of him felt that the hurt in the Herald's gasp was just desserts in Inan's case, they had all loved Ivorn like a father, and Inan's own disappearance had been met with many tears.

"In her twelfth year her brother disappeared during a particularly nasty battle with Karse. Some of the clan members, most of them children, swore that he was carried away on a glowing spirit horse to the land of the dead. At the time we didn't know much about Heralds or their Companions, so most of us assumed that he had died. However Ivorn and Marie were sure he was still alive, even though none of us could understand if he was alive why he wouldn't be making all efforts to come back?" Aaron continued pointedly.

"From that point on Ivorn began training Marie as his military successor. She had been training as a caretaker for the previous years and continued in that role until her father died. Marie is the best fighter I have ever seen, she trained most of us to fight better, she works us harder than we ever knew we could, and so it was no wonder that the Clan looked to her for leadership when Ivorn went. We knew she was our best asset, unfortunately so did Karse."

"How?" Selenay asked.

"Rumors are a powerful thing, the soldiers that survived and returned to their masters, would tell stories of a fire headed warrior girl who decimated whole armies, and summoned demons from out of nothing to fight with her." Vorn interjected.

"The second time she was captured was no big deal, she rolled out of the wagon after bribing some soldiers with the amethyst beads she had on her at the time. The next time that tactic didn't work. She was caught by the Sun Guards." Vorn hesitated, and was surprised when Alberich continued the story.

"The personal entourage of the Sun Priests who had come out to see the warrior girl in action. It is in their interests to face threats to their power. She was separated from the bulk of the clan and knocked out." He stopped as he caught the curious look that Aaron was shooting him, " Some of the men I trained as cadets bragged about that capture for months after. I do not know anything more than that."

Aaron nodded but didn't continue. Vorn however picked up the story in a seamless gesture.

"She was taken to Kabina Zoufaly."

This time is was Alberich who inhaled sharply, while Talamir clenched his jaw, and Keren swore so loudly that Ylsa jumped in her seat.

"The Hopeless Cage." Elcarth murmured for the benefit of the others who didn't make the connection right away.

The Hopeless Cage was the most infamous prison in Karse. Not so much a prison, and more of a torture chamber, the idea of any length of time spent there made everyone at the table ill. It was located in the southern part of the country near to border of Old Jkatha, and hidden in a labyrinth of hills. Because of its location it was a nine-day journey by regular horse, which meant that most of its visitors unless they were very strong starved before they arrived.

"Marie has never spoken about what happened while she was there, beyond what her guards let slip. The day before she escaped she heard her guards talking about the new plans of the Sun Priests. They weren't speaking in Karsian dialects, and so they probably assumed she wouldn't understand. The Sun Priests have begun to hire out of Karse for magicians, or witch doctors claiming to be magicians. If it were true it would mean that Karse was betting on having the increased capitol to pay for such assets, which meant they were counting on our amethyst wealth. She also reported that there were already stories of border villages that woke up the next morning with citizens gone from their beds and no trace of them found other than a blood smear on their front doors. From that point on, more and more stories came to our ears of demons that did the Sun Priests bidding. Whatever they began, has kept their countrymen in righteous fear of the powerful ever since." Aaron finished.

"How were you able to trust her words?"

Kyril's voice changed from curious to lightly crass.

"I mean if she betrayed you once-"

"Hopeless Cage Prison marks its _guests _with a brand on their body, usually on the back of the neck, or the bottom of the foot." Alberich put in quietly.

Vorn nodded,

"Her left."

"Hopeless also has a policy that when a prisoner is no longer useful they are disposed of, usually by exposure to the elements. I assume that's how she escaped her first mark of execution?" Talamir added.

Aaron and Vorn conceded that this was correct, and for a long moment no one said anything.

"What about the second time she escaped execution, how did that occur?"

"About three years ago, the Fox Clan traveled to the southern half of our territory to help the White Crows hold off a large group of brigands, and in that chaotic mess, Karse had sent assassins to recapture our Lady General. They captured her while she was defending a group of children on the outskirts of the fighting, I was captured as well."

Instead of Hopeless, we were drugged and taken to Karse's capital. I don't know how long we were out, but I awoke feeling weak and sore. She and I were in separate cells in what looked like a common jail. At first I thought that we had been sold to some jailer who would sell us for a bigger bounty. Marie hadn't come out of her sleep yet, when the Sun Priests came. They took me into questioning first. There were a lot of questions I didn't understand about mind magic and Herald-gifts. I was knocked around some, but no real damage to speak of, and then I was back in my cell. They took Marie the next day when she woke up. I didn't see her for a week. When she came back most of the bones in her hands had been dislocated, and she was covered in bruises.

"This went on for about two more days, until something occurred that part of me still doesn't believe." Vorn said desperately.

"We were marked for death, we were to be burned in the square at dawn, not that we knew what time of day it was. They put us in a special cell that was four walls of stone and a simple drain in the center, beyond the door; there was no way to get out. We heard some voices outside, but couldn't hear exact words, and then there was a Sun Priest opening the door, except that it was a woman. She gestured for us to be quiet she gave something to Marie, and whispered something to her and led us out of the cell. The guards were gone, and she took us through a series of hand-dug tunnels that let us out of the city through the sewer system. We exited along a frozen stream, and she pointed in the direction of our home and was gone."

"What did Marie say about it?" Talamir asked.

"She didn't. But I do know that after that last capture the bounty on her head doubled in size. Neither of us know what she learned but by Summer Solstice the Eyes she did tell will be in Haven and you can ask them."

"What happened between your reunion with the clans, and the last battle?" Elcarth asked.

"Grave digging." Aaron said shortly.

"There's something I don't quite understand…" Jeri started. "You said before that she had earned her trust from the family after two years. Yet the family required extra oaths? Why? If the trust was really returned why would she have to go the extra length?"

"Some of those oaths she made when she was eleven, and some she made later as a General. A General vows to do all in their power to protect the clan, no matter what the cost is. He or she vows never to reveal information that might jeopardize the clan, and they vow to protect its secrets with their dying breath."

Aaron said hoping to redirect the question as he felt Marie's grip return on his fingers. Whatever trance she had lulled herself into was clearly fading at her friend's question.

"As a leader I find that totally understandable, but what oath did she take when she eleven?"

Selenay had been listening to this discussion her mind running a double speed trying to process the wealth of information that seemed to wash over her like a mighty wind pushes grain in the fields.

Marie's grip lessened as her way of telling Aaron to answer.

"She took an oath of her own making, she promised the clan that they came first in her life."

"What aren't you saying?" the Queen pushed.

"The women of our family marry young, around fourteen or so. It is the right of any male or female to ask for the courting rights to another person. This is done by exchanging-"

For a few seconds at most Aaron was cut off by Marie, who had suddenly gripped his hand so hard, he wondered if she had broken any of his fingers. Swiftly he redirected his explanation,

"- vows. Courting usually begins around age twelve giving them plenty of time to discern if they are suitable life partners. She gave up both her rights to anyone, and she never accepted the favor of anyone else. She thought that her role in the clan was too important to interrupt with reproduction of the next generation. Her dedication may have saved us more times than any of us know." He said admirably.

Alberich hadn't missed the sudden change in the final bit of Aaron's explanation, nor the small wince of pain that had fluttered across his face. He could only think that there was something about that vow, he couldn't talk about, and that made him suspicious.

"Marie? What was the information you garnered after your last capture?" Elcarth asked.

Marie opened her eyes and withdrew her hands from her friends, she leaned back in her chair and turned towards Elcarth.

"There are resistance groups forming in Karse, to uproot the current power players of the Sun Priests. The loyal militia initially thought I was behind them. The political tide is changing in Karse, although there may not be clear evidence of it for some time to come. The woman who freed us was a member of one of said resistance groups, she freed us as an act of good faith, and asked me to consider joining with her network. Two of my Eyes have been with them for the past two years, at least one of them is still alive, the other I do not know what happened to him. If he arrives by mid-summer I'll have less to worry about. Hardorn is also undergoing changes, although it isn't clear in what direction that will lead.

"Karse knows that I know of the resistance groups, it is likely that they assume that I am at least partially behind them. They have used this assumption to garner help from Rethwellan to capture a good portion of my family. I do not know all of their fates yet. I know who and where the heads of each of the insurgence groups are within Karse and Rethwellan. Karse hopes to silence me and thus end my spy network and influence in Rethwellan."

"Do you mean political influence?" Ylsa asked.

"She means the influence over the bounty hunters, the relatives of clan folk, and the traders and mercenaries that reside in Rethwellan, and don't venture into Karse for personal 'family' reasons. If the information network stops, it means that our allies are riding blind and won't know whom to trust." Aaron explained.

"Marie, you said before that your Eyes will have come to you by mid summer, what is so special about mid-summer?" Elcarth asked.

"Every year at mid-summer we return to our Lady General, so she can ascertain for herself that we are alive and well. She has a saying, 'if there isn't a body, there's no proof of death.'" Vorn answered.

"I assume that you two are the Eyes in Valdemar?" Talamir gestured between Aaron and Vorn.

"Sort of. Aaron has been here for five years and almost completely cut off from the clan. Marie sent him here to test the climate for treaty-ship. I arrived only a month ago. I was with our people at the border, but her Companion whisked her off when the fighting was over and assured us that we would be welcome in Haven when the ice melt."

"Did you know he was here Inan?" Keren asked the other Herald sharply.

"No. He didn't." Aaron said curtly "My role was to observe only, I was bade never to interfere."

Inan shook his head to confirm Aaron's declaration.

Kyril was never one to dwell on dramatic topics and quickly undercut the flow of conversation by asking,

"Now about this business this morning. Marie you mentioned that you fought Herald Red because you thought he might be an assassin? I take it, that Karse will go so far as to assassinate you here?"

Marie nodded.

"And what will your continued roles be in Valdemar?" Talamir asked Marie's Eyes.

"We will do as our Lady requests. We will protect her to the best of our ability, that is our pledge." Vorn said seriously.

Elcarth and Talamir nodded, while Selenay continued to gaze at them shrewdly, clearly assessing them for any possible deceit.

"Ylsa, you will be in charge of training this one's gift. Do not hesitate to tell us if it is beyond your capability. Before we dismiss is it understood that nothing that was shared here today should be discussed with anyone not present, and never in public?" Selenay admonished in her most authoritative voice.

"It is understood." Keren answered as the others nodded.

"Very well, I suggest we go our separate ways, and Talamir, you and I must go see to the guard. Marie I suggest you go take a nap, you look as though your haven't slept all night," she teased.

….

Alberich watched as Jeri and Keren led Marie away from the table and toward the door. He turned his attention back to the sandy haired man who was still sitting across from him.

"There is more you wish to ask, of me I know." Aaron spoke in his native dialect of Karse.

"I want to know what you almost said about her oath?" Alberich asked carefully.

"In our clan, pledges are made by the exchange of vows or tokens." Aaron said just as carefully.

Alberich put the amethyst fox carving on the table, and watched as Aaron's face became tight for a moment before softening.

"You think I'm not worth everything she went through for sparing my life."

It was not a question.

"Marie thinks you are, what I think really doesn't matter, beyond that she has always been my best friend, and there was a time when I wanted her to have my token. None of us can explain why we love whom we love, we just do. I have been watching you since I arrived, and I may not like the idea of you and Marie, but I cannot say it is because I do not like you. You are honorable, and good to her when you aren't confusing the hell out of her. She as good as gave you her heart when she was a child, and she's been living for so long without it that she doesn't know how to use it again."

Alberich sat dumbly, unsure how to react, but he was saved the trouble by Aaron's next words.

"The man in the red cloak that you have been following has another shadow. A young shadow, he goes where your cloaked man goes. I can't find your man, but I can lead you to a thief." Aaron said in a hushed whisper.

Alberich's mind was wiped clean of his conundrum with Marie, and his attention was fully locked on the spy in front of him.

"When?"

"Tonight."

…

A/N: "Vyhnanec"; Czech for the act of exile, "Kabina"; Czech for cage, "Zoufaly"; Czech for hopeless…Sorry for the delay, final exams have come so my time is limited. There will be more by the end of next week. Cheerios and Milk!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Developments.

Some days later, Marie sat in the Queen's private study, waiting for Selenay to come out of a council meeting. She was sitting with her back to the door, her eyes watching the lazy stretching of a cat resting in the sun under the window seat on the warm wood floor.

When the Queen entered the room, Marie turned her head to observe the woman who was not much older than herself.

The Queen seemed to lean against the doorframe returning Marie's stare until Marie broke the eye contact in a respectful head bow. From her hunched position she could no longer see the Lady in question but she could hear her chuckling.

"Always so watchful. I am really getting curious about how long you intend to keep your mouth shut about your former life."

"Until all the court is a flutter with gossip so ridiculous that no one will believe the boring truth."

"Oh I must remember that trick. I suppose it makes sense, convolute the truth so that when truth comes they can't tell the difference…comes in handy I suppose?"

"Yes, especially in situations of torture."

Selenay, who had been pouring herself a cup of tea, suddenly went very still, but she resumed her task, saying nothing.

Marie bit her bottom lip. She hadn't meant it seriously, although what she had said was true, she had meant it as a laugh. Marie respected the woman before her, as they were very much alike. Selenay had been taken advantage of in the worst way, and had had her share of uncertain nights of confusion and despair. As another woman Marie felt that there were certain things she could only work out with the Queen. They were both warriors after all, and they both had people they were responsible for.

"Marie you are always so solitary, as though you are caught up in your own world. Elcarth among many have commented to me about it. I do not mean to question your faith in the circle, but your silence is being read as distance, isolation and defensiveness. You are pushing others away by not engaging in social activities with the others. I know that you and Jeri have formed a friendship."

"Yes she is invaluable."

"And our Weapons-master?" the Queen asked.

Marie kept her head down in a lazy slouch, and shrugged, as though the subject was not always on her mind.

Selenay to her credit, was neither fooled nor put off by this act,

"Oh come now, surely you aren't oblivious to the whispers about you two?"

"No, but that doesn't make any of them necessarily valid." she put in.

"I didn't say it did, but as your friend and his, I only want to know if you are happy?"

People had been asking her if she was happy for months, and Marie was as ill-equipped to answer now as she had been the first time. Happiness as something to obtain personally was still a vague and confusing concept to her. Being content with the outcome of circumstance was enough to please her, but she thought that if she was constantly striving to be perfectly happy she may find more disappointment than was healthy.

"I don't know what is between us."

"Haven't you asked him?"

Marie sighed and shook her head sadly.

"It isn't as simple as all that. He is older than I, and more…experienced. Selenay I have lived a lot of life, but I have no knowing what there is to know in this situation."

"Oh my," Selenay murmured. "Sweetie, he's a Herald, his heart is true and a good match for yours, but he can't read minds. Well he could I suppose, but he won't not even in your case, it would be unethical. He's been here a long time, and even I fancied myself in love with him once. I wasn't, it was just a girl's crush, but he's worth having. Please promise me you'll try to talk to him about it?"

Marie nodded, knowing she would have to face the issue eventually.

"Now, before I get pulled into the kingdom finances, what news have you for me?"

"The Eye of Jkatha has written to tell me that most of the Fox clan survives in the regions south of Rethwellan and are doing well. He will remain there through mid-summer, as he cannot possibly make the journey through Karse. My response has been sent giving him permission to stay where he is."

"How are these communications sent exactly?"

Marie paused and then went to Selenay's desk; from a drawer she withdrew a small scrap of paper and a pencil. Walking back to her chair she pulled out her own silver hollow thorn from her shoulder sling-pouch, and put it on the table between the two women.

"This is a message carrier, be careful not to touch the sharp ends of the thorns, and they are full of poison."

"How do they work?" Selenay asked completely drawn to the simple looking carrier before her..

Marie picked up the flask and unscrewed one end of the shaft. Inside there were small spaces between the interior and exterior walls of the opening. Marie folded the piece of paper in half and then skillfully placed it inside the space. She screwed the bottom end back in and then handed the carrier to the Queen.

"Open the top."

Selenay took the object and unhooked the latch at the opposite end of the flask. The top swung open and inside she could see many of the amethyst beads Marie kept with her, but as she shifted the contents around inside, she couldn't see the paper Marie had inserted into the bottom.

"It has a false bottom and small air filled spaces along the inner walls of the shaft to hide messages in. These air pockets also act as drums to keep the flask afloat in water. The boxes are completely water tight to protect the items within them.

"They are covered in the poisonous lattice work because our enemies know we carry stones on us at all times as currency. They are not usually found on my Eyes' persons, but when they are, their secrets are not easily found. Besides anyone who manages it will die before he or she can say anything. The only way to get at the messages is to open a side panel in the outer shaft; this panel is directly behind the thorn lattice. In other words you have to know precisely how to open the carrier or they..."

"Get a dose of poison for their trouble. I see, very clever. Who designed these?"

"My father. He was always a touch paranoid when it came to outsiders, but he understood the value of having many networks working together at one time."

"Hmm. Well I know what the message is carried in, but how does it get from you to your eyes?"

"Father was excellent at negotiation and bargaining. He managed within the course of his life within the clan to secure many alliances with many different people of many walks of life. Our amethyst was our only currency, and was so well sought among trades-people that many would make annual trips to deal with us. Over the span of many years a network of mercenaries, and traders, mostly from other regions around Karse became the safe hands between the locations of our Eyes. All the cities they inhabit are on major trade circuits."

Selenay thought about this for a few moments, and then it dawned on her suddenly and her eyes lit up in excitement.

"Because traders come and go every year at the same time on their trade routes. Most are known at the borders and are trusted."

"So who better to run your errands than a band of people who can enter and exit any kingdom on their route without a thorough search?"

"Oh that's marvelous, and brilliant."

"Yes, he was very proud of himself when he announced his plan to the elders."

"And this network exists today, even though he is gone?"

"Allegiance proven is allegiance true. They recognized my authority as my father's daughter and the trusted leader of the clans. If I were to die, they will recognize anyone who wears this."

Marie pulled on the laces at the neck of her tunic and pulled out a sturdy chain, that Selenay hadn't remembered seeing before. It must have reached down to her sternum, and at the very end of the steel loops that glittered in the afternoon light was a small pendant. It looked like cast glass, but there was something trapped within it.

Selenay reached out and palmed the round sphere and pulled it gently into the light. Encased in the clear polished round in her hand was the tooth of an animal. It was surely the front sharp tooth of an adult predator, but she couldn't identify it right off hand.

"It's a fox tooth. One of the many symbols of my clan's leadership."

"It's beautiful, although a little intimidating."

"We're an intimidating people Majesty." Marie laughed.

"What are the identifications of leadership in your clan, besides this I mean? If your clan were to convene in Haven right now, all alive and accounted for, how would we be able to tell them apart?" Selenay sounded intrigued.

Marie thought for a moment.

"Well the first indication of rank is the colors worn on the body. Our dress is simple and must be lightweight enough to fight or flee swiftly in. However it must also stand up to the harsh conditions of desert life. Our clothing is made for each of us and we carry the same cloth with us throughout our lives.

When I came here most of my clothing was black, and it covered my entire body. Black is the color of the Caretakers, as was my role in the clan before my father died. When he passed, leaving me with his authority, I was given his red and black patterned wrap cloth. Red is the color of the Warriors, so that the enemy can't tell when we bleed or are simply covered in theirs."

Selenay cocked her head in thought of such an image.

"The General's cloth must be of both red and black, for they are the ultimate protector and caregiver for the clan."

"When you came to us, you also wore a blue tunic, what does blue represent?"

"In the past five years, the population of the Fox Clan has dwindled, as has every other nomad faction of my former home. It became necessary to put aside territorial differences and squabbles over culture, and unite as one force against Karse. The blue tunic with the light grey patterned hem was a token of friendship between the White Crows and the Wolf Runners. I wore it so I could be recognized by all clan fighters as a General."

Marie's voice thinned a little at that last part, the losses of her family and neighbors was still hard to think about. Emotion filtered into her words as she continued, more softly than before,

"I was chosen on a battlefield, did you know that?"

Selenay did not and the interest she felt could not be hidden in her expression.

Marie nodded.

"We were grossly outnumbered. Vorn was with me at the border of Valdemar, but he was not present... before."

Selenay knew better than to interrupt, and simply covered the younger woman's hand with her own. To her, Marie seemed bolstered by this act and continued her story.

"I had sent all of my eyes away from their homeland the previous year, I cannot explain how I knew what was coming. The other leaders and I had no way of knowing the actual numbers, my part was all in guess, and my guess was several hundred too low. We are a fierce and exact people, but even the best skill and master fighting ability cannot hope to hold up against a force of sheer overwhelming numbers. What was expected to be hundreds, was in fact over two thousand.

"I was in the thick of it with my best fighters, many of whom I had learned from as a child. When it came down to it, they knew almost through some kind of mind-link that we could not all survive this war. I watched as the best of the best formed a small barrier of swords and bodies between _them _ and the rest of my family. I wanted to stay fighting with them, knowing that I would die, but my role is much more complicated than that of a fighter.

Marie couldn't stop the memories from flooding her mind, nor could she stop the half whisper of her next words,

"Alberich is more than a fighter, more than a leader, he could understand as I feel I am also afraid to feel at all."

Selenay had sat very still during Marie's confession, feeling a kinship growing warm and strong in her heart. For she often felt this way about sending her Heralds into the fray, never to return. She often wished she could go in their stead, or she wished that she could solve the issues that made it necessary to send them in to harms way at all...but it was not to be so easy.

Selenay was tempted to commit her feelings to words, but in the back of her head Caryo was pulling on her mind to stay focused, and not to press into matters that were not her business to enquire on.

Selenay settled her Companion and nodded her head.

"What of the foxtails, where do they become important?"

The redirection of conversation would have been startling, if Marie hadn't been quick to notice the slight glaze in Selenay's eyes that signified that her Companion must be getting her word in. In truth it had taken something out of Marie to discuss her people with the older woman, and she was relieved for the change in topic.

"A clan member's foxtail indicates something unique. The gender, and size of the tail indicates the authority of a clan member in their role. I am the Lady General, the figure head of authority for the entire clan, and my tail was also my father's tail, an adult black and silver fox. However my tail is just as big as my Warrior Captain, and the Head Caregiver, and the Oldest Elder. We together formed a function much like your council serves. No General has ever stood alone until now."

"I understand, your equals were the heads of your clan's various life roles, like my nobles among the people."

"Yes, exactly. It is odd not having them here by my side to help me in my decisions. It also makes the decisions that much more difficult and important to…to,"

Marie couldn't believe that she was stammering,

"Important to make the right ones." Selenay finished.

Marie nodded in a sigh.

"Take heart, I really do understand how you feel. You and I are alike in more than one way. While we are the figureheads for our people, we are also human, and women who need to be held just like every other woman. Yet, life gets in the way, too often for us to have what we want. Duty keeps us going. The other stuff may come in time, or it may not be in our grasp at all ever again…but our people need us."

Somehow Marie felt compelled to speak after such a personal statement.

"It is all I have ever known, and while I do long for his arms around me, and his eyes to tell me that he of all people in this world understands my soul and my pain, and my fear, but that he wants me none the less. It may be a silly dream, it may be real, but my people need me always, whether I am able to love him or not." Marie finished.

"You worry that because you have never loved like that, that it is impossible?" Selenay asked surprised at her friend's words.

"I do. I was not raised to love men; I was raised to kill them, yet I spared him. I should have killed him that day, but I saw a scared boy who was doing what he was doing because he was told it was right…not because he actually believed it. I saw something in him that stayed my hand, and I paid dearly for it, but I never really regretted my choice, and I chose to believe that it meant something. For all those years that I lived in my head, and watched other people in their affairs and their joys, I knew I might never know happiness, but that I would fight to the death for theirs. It was quite liberating in some ways."

"But you've shied away from other happiness Marie. I think you've lived in your head for so long that you've forgotten that friendships are just as important as love between significant others. Your sentiment for your people is admirable, but you need to have your own experiences to understand why any of this turmoil is worth it. I admit, I loved blindly, and it broke my heart twice, but it has made me understand more about people, and why a Herald's duty is so important."

"Even though he hurt you? You are still grateful that you loved him for a short time?" Marie puzzled.

"Yes, it gave me my daughter, and it strengthened me, making me a better leader. Love, even the wrong kind of love is here to strengthen us, in the end. You have lived your life thinking you would never know what your clan mates had. Do not waste such an opportunity you have with Alberich. Your fear will profit you nothing, and you deserve better Marie."

"I will think on it."

"That is all I ask."

Marie politely excused herself and exited the chamber feeling overwrought with emotion. She hardly noticed where she was going until she saw that her feet had led her outside into the still twilight air. The sun had gone down, but the night was still unbearably warm. She turned from the Palace gardens and found Orestes leaning against the riding fence looking miserable.

"_Are you as uncomfortable as I am?"_

"_More, probably." He grunted._

"_Fancy a swim?"_

Orestes stomped his hooves in agreement, and the two walked in the direction of the river.

Although the summer had begun with boiling temperatures, the riverbank was devoid of any other being, besides the chirping crickets and barking frogs.

Marie stripped down to her skin and still found beads of sweat glistening on her skin. Her clothes were piled unceremoniously on the rocks along the water's edge, and she quickly wadded into the deeper currents seeking the colder water.

Orestes drank from the slower rapids before trotting in after her, kicking up water onto his back and into his mane.

"_Feel better love?"_

"_Much, if this is the start of the hot months, I dread the rest already."_

"_The heat is full of moisture here. In the desert it was always dry heat, which I could deal with, but with all of Valdemar's lakes and rivers the summer is very different. I can't say I like it much either."_

Marie floated on her back against the current, kicking her legs gently to stay afloat. Her breasts rested above the water, and her loose hair spread around her head like weed grass in the shallows. As she floated, looking at the darkening sky she felt her mind wander to Alberich. She lifted her hand and ran it gently over the surface of the water, as she thought of the sharp piercing edge in his eyes that made her stomach flutter. She thought of the way he fought her in the duel, with fluid strokes, graceful yet unmentionably powerful. The strength in his body made her feet tingle, and she smoothed her hand over her chest to will her heart to cease its furies of beats.

She was thinking of nonsense, and it was getting late. Standing in the water she returned to the shore and was surprised how short a time had passed before she was dry once more. She dressed and walked back to the Collegium with a much more refreshed Orestes by her side.

…

Talamir stood at Selenay's chamber window, his back to the Queen as he looked out at her blooming gardens. The white June roses were standing out in the crisp twilight. They shown bright, as a companion among horses, and Talamir was saddened as he thought of his lost Taver. Being here without his first Companion was hard for him. Although Roland was strong and giving he knew that Roland was born of the Grove for someone else, someone whom he would never have the pleasure of knowing, but he knew that whomever they were would be able to lead Selenay in the right directions.

Selenay. She had grown so much from the little girl-child he had witnessed into the world, and helped to raise with her father. She was very much like him, although she looked more like her mother, same mouth and face shape. However when Talamir looked into her eyes he still saw the late King, staring back at him expecting answers, but he was too tired, and too old now.

Movement from below the window caught his eye, and he leaned into the glass and saw Marie heading in the direction of the dormitories.

"I wish I were a trainee with nothing to do in the evenings, I'd go swimming too." He mumbled in jest.

Selenay was sitting at her desk, about ten feet from her advisor, but she heard him without issue.

"Which one of us was so lucky to manage that?"

"Marie of course. With everything we throw at her; dancing lessons, politics, geography, mathematics, and now her lessons to train her gift, it's amazing she finds time to eat and sleep let alone go swimming."

"She has a talent for finding every spare moment of every day for something, sometimes I envy her for that." Selenay paused before rerouting the conversation to,

"Ylsa says her gift training is going exceptionally well, and that after her trials are over she could be ready for her whites in the fall. What do you say?"

"I agree, the information she had fed us of our old enemy has been invaluable, and the network of spies she possesses stands to be our finest gain in a decade of chaos. Aaron seems amiable to working with Kyril about tactics and refuge for his people here in Valdemar. Vorn reminds me a lot of me, when I was younger, of course." Talamir laughed.

"I wouldn't know who to send with her for internship though…" Selenay paused.

"I would send her on with Herald Gregory, or Herald Red."

"Not Red, he has too much of his heart invested in her to do what's best for the situation, and she would have a hard time taking him seriously."

"Hmm, so Gregory then?"

"Yes, I think he would be the best choice." Selenay confirmed.

Selenay glanced over to the adjoining room where her daughter was having a tantrum…again.

"Talimir, there's something else we have to discuss tonight. Elsbeth is proving to much for any of the nannies other then Hulda, but you know she's from out of Kingdom, and she is teaching Elsbeth her ways, not Valdemar's."

"Yes so I've heard. I admit I wanted to approach you about a possible solution."

"Solution? What?" The Queen leaned in closely.

"Well I know of a family in the country that we could send Elsbeth to…"

The two colleagues talked further into the night, neither of them aware of the cloaked figure that huddled close to the door, listening in at the peephole.

….

The early light of morning was cool across Marie's neck and shoulders as she carefully balanced on the straight and sturdy fence around the Companions Field. In each hand she carried a heavy weapon, yet she stayed poised perfectly on the balls of her feet. She made wide swooping sweeps with her chosen blades and turned and spun on the cleft of her arches, never loosing her balance or falling off. Such and act would have been nearer impossible if the fence had not been made straight and sturdy.

Kris and Dirk, two trainees who were never too far from the other, watched her from atop their Companions with respect.

"Now there's someone I wouldn't want to face me in a fight." Kris muttered.

"I've never seen control like that, short of carnival performers."

"Yeah but she doesn't fight like a carnival trickster, she has a fierceness that scares most of the circle."

"Aw, she aint that bad, rather quiet and watchful, but I hear she's a spy, and that could be downright useful."

"I heard she was an assassin, but that's mostly the court talking."

"I wonder if she knows what people say about her, I mean behind closed doors."

"Doubt it. It took her forever to figure out Red's crush on her. I don't know, sometimes I don't think she has much experience dealing with people."

"You don't eh? Then how do you explain that?" Dirk put in, returning Kris's attention to their reserved classmate.

Marie had been working on her equilibrium training when a small voice had distracted her. She lowered her weapons and turned to look at a young chosen, named Derek. He was from the Lake Evendim area, and orphan, who had almost no skills in weapon training. When Alberich had assessed him a few days ago, he had teased him harshly about nets not having the same effect on humans as fish. The boy hadn't cried nor cringed in the stern man's presence, something Marie found remarkable for a boy who couldn't be more than twelve.

Now he was leaning on a walking stick, and gazing curiously at Marie.

"Can you teach me to balance like that?" he asked meekly.

Marie was surprised, most of the circle, except those who taught her, kept their distance and found her too intimidating to approach. Yet this small boy was speaking to her with ease.

Marie smiled at him,

"I can, but it won't be easy and it will take much more work on your part." She answered truthfully.

"I'm no stranger to hard work Miss." He insisted.

"No I guess a fisherman's son wouldn't be, but you needn't call me anything other than Marie."

Derek nodded, and let Marie take him by the hand as he climbed up onto the fence with her.

I want you to try balancing in one position on the rail of this fence while I talk to my year mates."

Derek nodded a little and did his best balance on the narrow rail, like Marie had only minutes before. She had made it look deceptively easy, but poor Derek was already flailing his arms about in a drastic attempt to keep from falling off the rail.

"Try looking at one spot on the fence post while you balance." she said before stepping off the fence to the soft mossy grass below them.

Over the boy's shoulder, Marie spotted Kris and Dirk and smiled at them. The two trainees waved at her before dismounting.

As they came closer Marie kept her face neutral as though nothing were out of place. Marie's excellent hearing, hadn't missed their conversation, and smirked at Kris before asking,

"So, are the bets high on assassin or on spy?" she asked mockingly.

Kris's face went blank momentarily before his face broke into a charming grin to match Dirk's already gleaming smile. Chuckling he answered,

"I think most of the court is in favor of the assassin, although the council is convinced you were a spy. Are you going to lay the record straight?"

Marie hopped off the fence and landed gracefully in front of her friends. They had seen her work in the Salle, and both knew what kind of muscle strength she possessed, but she doubted either of them had ever seen her running roofs, or mounting walls, and she smiled a little at their expressions.

"How high are the bets?" She inquired cheekily.

"Well the bowl for spy is at forty silvers, and assassin has just grazed ninety last night."

"Let me know when they both break one hundred." She ended before returning her gaze to Derek, who was having a hard time keeping his balance on the still fence for so long.

"Tell me Derek, which parts of your body are starting to feel strain?"

Dirk cocked his head to the side as he looked at the pair. Marie's voice had changed in a split second from playful and light, to a teacher's patient authority that distinctly reminded him of Teren.

"The backs of my legs and the small of my back are aching."

Marie nodded, and smiled.

"You can get down now. Every third morning come here, and we'll train together, alright?"

"Yeah. Alright."

Marie waved at the boy as he ran off in the direction of his Companion, leaving her with her year mates.

"What do you wish to ask me Dirk?"

"How do you know I want to ask you anything?"

"You have a small twitch in your left cheek when you're inquisitive about something, so come on then, out with it?" she coaxed.

"Where exactly do you come from? You're accent isn't one I recognize but at times you almost sound like Herald Alberich, and other times you sound like something else entirely?"

Kris looked slightly uncomfortable when Dirk asked this question, but Marie couldn't fathom why?

"I come from a land between Karse and Old Jkatha. My native languages are a mixture of Karsian, and the trader's speech."

"How many languages can you speak?" Kris asked this time.

"Ten, including some older Valdemarian dialects, it's not uncommon for members of my family to speak up to fifteen or twenty dialects of local language."

She paused, and then suddenly asked,

"Are there any other rumors you'd like to question me about? I admit I have heard most of what the circle thinks, but I'm curious about others…I didn't know there was much to gossip about." She hedged.

Kris looked sharply at her then, but not unkindly.

"There's rumors that Herald Inan is your brother, but that you refuse to call him such. Is there any weight to that?"

"Well yes, but it's not what most people think. Inan and I share a mother and a father, and he was definitely the first born, but we are not family, we are friends."

"How does that work?" Dirk exclaimed.

"Um, Inan abandoned, in a sense, his role within our family and we had to assume he was dead. I lost my brother in battle when I was twelve, Herald Inan is a friend." She repeated, lending extra weight on the word "Herald".

Kris didn't come from a large family like Dirk did, but even he was having trouble with Marie's explanation, although he found himself nodding.

"Marie, you don't have to answer this if it makes you uncomfortable, but there are rumors within the circle, and only amongst us Heralds, that you and Alberich share a bond?" Dirk asked as delicately as he could.

Marie looked thoughtful for a moment before simply nodding her head twice in confirmation. When neither of her friends spoke she was compelled to speak.

"We share a history, we see things similarly, and the rest has yet to be defined."

"Wait, does that mean you knew Alberich when he was in Karse?"

"Briefly, but yes."

"How?"

"We fought in the same war."

"War? What war, surely not the Tedrel Wars?"

"No, not those."

Silence hung in the lightening atmosphere and around them hundreds of birds were waking up in a chorus of chirps.

Orestes leaned his head over the fence and nuzzled his chosen.

"My family, and extended family have been at war with Karse for most of my life. I have never known a time of peace in all my twenty plus years. There have been years of rest, but we always knew they would end. I was born, and raised in battle, I have known very little else in the world, until I came here." She smiled a little sadly.

"The breakfast bell is going to ring soon, you coming?" Kris asked. He was still uncomfortable with the questions Dirk had asked Marie and wanted to change the mood back to something neutral and light.

Marie heard the uneasiness in his voice and chuckled a little on the inside, men were so baffled when it came to women and emotion. She decided to save his delicate sensibilities and excuse him from more confusion.

"No, I think I want to continue my routine." She said as she hoisted herself back up on top of the fence.

….

One week later, most of Haven was distressed over the lack of rainfall, and the Kingdom was placed under official drought warning. Water conservation was in full effect, with every public and private well stationed with a guard to monitor the use of drinkable water within the city. Even the water that Alberich kept in the Salle was monitored, so Marie couldn't get refreshment from there. However, Marie had grown up in a desert, and she knew where to find water that didn't come from the city wells.

The first morning she met Derek, she took him into the small thicket behind Companion's Field and showed him where to find clean drinking water when he needed it. A large tuber root grew under the smallest of flowering shrubs in the loose dirt under the willow trees, and if shavings were taken from the tuber they could be squeezed by hand and the sweet water extracted from them. The juice from the tuber helped balance their body temperature and gave them extra protection against sunstroke on these hot days.

She showed him the soft yellow flower whose stalks could be crushed to produce a milky fluid that when rubbed into the skin would prevent sunburns. Reluctantly the introduced to the awful taste of brown berries that Marie had discovered grew quite well in Valdemar's soil, was at least entertaining to observe the queer expressions of an overly disgusted Derek.

The young trainee found all of this fascinating and soaked the information up like a sponge. Although he distinctly made his repulsion of brown berries evident, he did have to concede to their energy boosting value.

In the early morning, every third day, Marie would meet Derek in the fields like she promised and they would stretch and test, and strain, and work muscles that Derek wasn't even aware he had until now. Marie had him bend and twist in all sorts of ridiculous ways before each work out, and then they would run the length of Companion's field, and carry stones, or buckets of mud with them as they went.

It was hard going for Derek in those first few days. He had visited the Healer's twice for muscle wraps and willow bark tea to help with the muscle aches. He was tired and sore, but ever so thankful that Marie didn't insist of working out in the heat of the noon hour, or gods forbid every day.

However the more exercises he did the more his strength grew, and his energy level increased. Even the weapons master had noticed a real difference in his stance and swordsmanship in his lessons, although he could not ascertain the direct cause.

This went on for about four weeks, and then one morning when Marie arrived at the field, it wasn't just Derek waiting for her. Leaning against the fence were about ten younger trainees from Derek's age to about fifteen.

It was obvious that they wanted the kind of muscles that no doubt were being noticed in Derek. Three of the younger students were girls, and Marie smiled to herself.

She knew all of these students from the Salle, and was able to divide them into three groups. Derek and another boy about fifteen were in the first group. Two of the girls and another boy about thirteen made up the second group, leaving the last girl of fourteen and four of her year mates in the last group.

The first group was the most prepared physically for further training, the middle group would need to work on their lower half only, and the last group would need to start from scratch.

Marie instructed Derek and the other boy named Quinn, to practice standing perfectly still on the low fence posts, while she ran the field with the others. Once the others understood what would be expected of them, the older students took ready charge of the younger, and Marie could return to Derek and Quinn.

When she returned she found each of them wavering a little on their respective posts. She took two acorns from the dusty ground and threw them at her students. Once the shells hit their targets, both boys lost their concentration and toppled over into the dry grass.

Marie shook her head and spent the remainder of the morning teaching them about focus and control.

…

Just before the morning helper bell tolled eleven weary and dusty students were seen coming in from Companion's field. No one had noticed the morning activities when it had only been Derek slipping away before dawn, but now that there was a gaggle of Herald trainees, it became much harder not to notice.

Housekeeper Gaytha scrunched her eyebrows together as she surveyed the sudden increase of dirty clothing, and made note in the ledger that it seemed to occur every three days, like clockwork.

One month later, Dean Elcarth was going over the books of the Collegium and was noting the odd notes about Gaytha's three-day laundry schedule. For years Elcarth had surveyed the books, and this was the only summer on record where the students seemed to be working their clothing to rags every three days, and before the morning meal. He compared the summer book to the records of the previous spring and winter and saw no great change in the uniform cycle. Usually there was a spike just after the arrival of spring when students and Heralds alike were reveling in the tame and warmer weather. Naturally more uniforms were needed to replace the extra wear and tear that came with better weather. However this seemed to be restricted to a small group of students, of very particular sizes and that alone struck him as peculiar. In the back of his mind he could hear his Companion Rylee chuckling, and that made him suspicious.

…..

It was three days before Summer Solstice, and Marie was sitting high in a tree, sheltered from most of the sun. Vorn sat a few branches above her, and Aaron as usual could not be seen.

"Do you know what they do?" she asked.

"Your Alberich seeks a man who is responsible for scandal and murder in Haven, Aaron has seen a common street thief in the man's shadow and has been leading Alberich to all the places that his target haunts. He is slippery and crafty, but his young shadow is easier to track."

Marie didn't respond she only continued to stare out at Companion's field as she could see it over the palace roof.

They were occupying a rather tall oak tree in the main courtyard, but were far enough up in its branches that their position was secret, unless someone were to open the windows to their left. However in the current drought not many were opting for such an action.

Most of Haven was shut indoors, regardless of the Mid-Summer Festivals that were to take place in only few days.

None of the other Eyes had sent word that they were in town. Each day that messages failed to arrive was another day Marie sought the company of her bodyguards and not the company of the circle. Marie even had shied away from Alberich's company for the comfort of Vorn and Aaron, but lately, even Aaron was off having his own adventures.

When Marie had asked Vorn where he was, she had never expected that he would be off with Alberich. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much, but she suspected that it had to do with Aaron, who knew so much about her; spending time with the man she wanted to know.

"I've seen the youngling swords you're training. It helps you doesn't it? Making them better, sharing your expertise?"

Marie looked away.

"No, don't take it that way. It's familiar. It has given you something constructive to do while…while we wait."

Marie nodded. Of course he would have been feeling the same tension that she had for the past two months. Her eyes were his friends, his training mates, and his yearling mates. She shifted delicately on her branch and put her hand on his shoulder, telling him silently, she understood.

"Took you long enough," he said sarcastically.

"I guess I do have a tendency to crawl into my own mind when I'm stressed." Marie conceded.

"I know, and your teachers have noticed too. I think it bothers them that you don't confide in them, or their "circle". In many ways they feel that you haven't become a part of their group, yet you have expertise that many of them will never have, and so their authority over you is difficult to quantify."

Marie didn't respond, instead she sat dolefully on her branch and let the wind rock her forward and back in the hot air.

"I think it is hard for one such as me to relinquish control of my life to others I have just met, even if it has been months. I lived and fought with our family, and for our family for most of my life. I am responsible for more than their lives, but also for their quality of life, and the knowledge and training to maintain that quality. I have been the teacher for so long that I have a hard time thinking of myself as a student again." She simplified.

"Talamir understands that more than most I think. He is behind you, and he believes in you the most besides Alberich and the Queen."

"And the others?"

"Others?"

"The ones who are not behind me as it were?"

"There are those who think you being here will invite Karse to create more trouble with Valdemar. They are not very many, but they are on the council, and they are in a position to influence the Queen's decision about the circuit you ride for your internship. They might be able to convince her to send you along Karse's border, or even across it."

"There is talk of that then." She confirmed.

"There are more and more that believe you were both an assassin and a spy, and they will use that to persuade Selenay that you should go back into Karse to serve Valdemar in shadow."

"Who is doing the persuading?"

"One called Orthallen, a Lord and a long time council member. She will pay attention to anything he tells her, which can be dangerous."

"Why? Apart from his ideas about me?"

"Lord Orthallen has some interesting friends, some of which converse rather regularly with the man your Alberich pursues. It's muddy business in Haven, and it extends into the palace and into the council itself."

"And can any of this be proven?"

"Of course not, that would make it easy, and you remember what Ivorn used to say?" Vorn chimed.

"If the task at hand is easy, then a trap is lying in wait." They chorused together.

Marie nodded.

"You're right though, teaching the younger students is a return to normalcy. I am the best I can be when I am training, and now I can help them be better by training them."

"I thought as much. May I ask something of you Lady?" Vorn asked his voice suddenly wavering.

"Yes."

"I wish to kiss you."

"Why?" she asked uncertainly.

"To show you something."

Marie nodded her apprehensive approval.

Vorn leaded towards her, and tilted his head so he could properly line his mouth up with hers. He smiled when he observed her in her regular calm state, and then he lunged into her lips, pressing against them and fiercely pushing against her bottom lip, and then he drew back, with an odd smile gracing his face.

"Well, what was that all about?"

"Did you feel anything just then when I kissed you?"

"No, it was a little rushed."

"And tell me what do you feel when Alberich kisses you?"

Marie flushed a deep red at his audacity, but her curious nature overruled her tongue and she answered the awkward question.

"I feel hot mostly. Like all my blood is rushing everywhere in my body at once, and I feel nervous and wonderful all together." She managed to force out.

"Do you want him to touch you when you kiss?" he asked blatantly.

"Yessss." She breathed.

"Do you want more than you can express to him in words?"

"Sometimes."

To this Vorn seemed unsure how to respond.

"Why only sometimes?" he asked.

"Sometimes I want him so much I can't stand it, and other time I want to run away from his presence because I am afraid."

"Of what?"

"That there will be something of me he won't like and will be repulsed by." She said almost too quietly to hear.

"You mean that you won't be good enough? Do you know that Aaron is helping Alberich mostly to watch the man you love to determine if he's good enough for you? And here you sit and you're telling me you fear not being good enough for him? Oh this is too much!"

Marie was stunned. She had just spent her heart out to her friend and here he was, laughing at her! But when she really thought about the paradox of her fear and theirs, she started laughing too. So there they sat laughing their heads off in the tree, with the birds flying around them wondering what had changed in the world that humans were sitting in trees? Were they supposed to walk on the ground and wear clothing?

When Marie has calmed down she found her brain going over something Vorn had mentioned before…

"Vorn, you know where Alberich's man is, I mean the general area?"

"Yes."

"Can you take me?"

"I suppose, when?"

"Tomorrow, during supper."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Shadows of Men

Master Hyden Archer stood on his front walk dressed in his finest as he awaited his contact. His gaze was fixed in the direction of the setting sun, even though the high rooftops of the nobility housing blocked a clear view from his position. The greater sky above him had already turned a dark cerulean, and although he gave every impression of alertness and awareness of his environment, his thoughts were miles away.

When he had been a simple apprentice metal smith, to a wandering trades jeweler, he had been introduced to a mighty community of warriors. Warriors by the hundreds, living in scattered small communities in the desert. When his master had told him they would be making the uncomfortable journey, he had scoffed, and thought the notion ridiculous in the extreme.

The road had been hard, and the heat cruel, and the dust storms were frequent and harsh, but still they walked into this empty wasteland that he had thought were surely the gates to hell.

What he had experienced on the eighth day in the desert had left him changed for the rest of his life.

He remembered the day as clearly as he did the days his children had graced the morning sky.

The seventh night in the desert had been icy, and he hadn't slept a wink, huddled against his donkey, bitter and in a foul mood. The morning had been as uncomfortable as always with the daily greeting of wind and flour-like dust stinging his eyes. His master had rationed each member of the small caravan a silky woven fabric to tie around their eyes, but Hyden had declined wearing it until now, claiming that he didn't want to appear weak, like a woman. His master had smiled a peculiar smirk at his comment but had said nothing.

His Master, Mastersmith Julard, had always been the silent type.

They had walked for three hours that day, until Master Julard had come to an abrupt halt declaring in a broad voice,

"We have arrived."

He smiled at his memory of how confused he had been. For he didn't see anything but the endless stretch of desert, but around him, the other tradesmen were taking their best tools off of their donkeys, and were now leading them by hand to where Master Julard stood.

Not wanting to appear foolish in the company of such men as his companions he had done the same, and when he came to his Master's side, he found it hard not to openly gawk at what befell his eyes.

At their feet, the desert fell away, sharply, as it became the edge of a great canyon. Master Julard turned to him then and winked before extending his left foot, as if he were going to walk off the edge. He hadn't been able to move quickly enough to stop him, but as it turned out, he needn't have bothered.

There was ground beneath him when he stepped off the edge, where as before, when he hadn't been paying attention it had appeared that the cliff cut straight down to a rocky death.

Instead the earth was the same color as the bottom of the canyon, and it was obvious that this deceptive trick had been engineered, and the work done by hand.

As he stood with his mouth hanging open, the others were passing him chuckling and reminiscing about their first trip out. He had finally pulled himself together and descended on the path with the others. As they made their way down, he couldn't help feeling that they were being watched.

Like many from Valdemar he had been graced with just enough gift to be sensitive to the presence of others, but not enough to be taught in Collegium. He had searched the ravine below them and even the opposite cliff edge above them but he had found nothing to validate the feeling.

The decent was slow, but not overly steep, and here they were thankfully protected from the hissing wind that still raged above them on the flat top.

The sun was directly overhead them when they came to a larger flat piece towards the bottom. He had been awed by what he had already seen on the way down; carved steps in the rock, almost invisible ropes that had been dyed in stripes of brown, orange, and red to match the striations in the rock face, and as they came closer and closer to their destination he had found the reason for the feeling of surveillance.

They were indeed being watched.

He had seen movement out of the corner of his left eye and looked a mere few feet above him to see a small boy's head clearly under a wrap cloth like his own. The boy's face seemed to come right out of the rock he was so well camouflaged, and the small child who couldn't have been more than ten winked at him.

His own eyes had nearly bulged out of his head.

"They only let you see them if they wish to be seen." One of the other jewelers had muttered to him over his shoulder.

Hyden hadn't known what to say, so he had nodded and continued on his way. When he was at last standing on the flat space with the others, and his donkey tied with the rest, only then, did he see her.

She was fourteen or so, not much younger than him, and she stood next to the most intimidating man he could ever imagine. He was taller than even Master Julard who had been just less than six feet, and his hair was dirty golden like aged flax. He noticed that it was tied tightly in a braid that coiled around his torso like a cord two maybe three times, before it secured itself at his left shoulder like a sash. His eyes were blue as cold steel and his face was angular. He was lean and muscled under his loose wrap style garments, which were black and bright red, that covered most of his body, and secured at his hip was a large fox tail that was black save for a tiny bit of white at the tip.

He had watched Master Julard be as respectful to this man as he had been in the King's presence, and Hyden had made note that this specimen could very well be the equivalent to royalty in a place like this.

The "King", as he had decided to call him, was looking at him, and although he still didn't know how he had managed it, Hyden had made a formal low bow to him while keeping his head and eyes firmly on this great man. When he rose into his standing position, the King had inclined his head and smirked at him, before turning away. The girl he had noticed first, did not follow him; she instead bade the tradesmen to follow her.

She led them into a dark cavern that was somehow receiving light from the surface.

"There are sky holes carved from the ceiling here all the way to the desert surface up there. This way they can see what they are doing, on nights where the moon is full they can work as easily as in the day." Julard had answered his questioning face.

"Who are they, where are we exactly?" he had asked.

"This is the territory of the Running Clans, or as some of the bards back home refer to as the Warrior Race." He said quietly.

"They exist? I always thought of them as stories." came Hyden's astonished hiss.

"They are as real as our ancient Herald-Mages, and should be respected. They live here, and to the south of Karse, and some say even in Rethwellan they have lived for thousands of years."

"Who is she to them?" he couldn't keep from asking.

"As the man you won favor of back there is their General King, she is like their version of a royal heir, but she will not inherit riches and title like our Princess will one day. She will win battle, and death, and responsibility." He said sadly.

"But our rulers know all of that too, they are Heralds." He had interjected.

"Not like she will know them."

It was all he would say on the matter, and his tone wrought no negotiation on the point, then or in the future.

After a series of turns into the maze of rock, Hyden had been sure he would never see full daylight again, merely because he would never find his way out, he was almost blinded when he turned yet another corner to be met with a shining spectacle of purple and pink stone that protruded from every surface around him.

There were small tinkering sounds coming from the men and women who were hammering out the largest clusters of smaller stones from the rock, while leaving the largest ones in place. To other men not familiar with stone cutting, this would make little sense. Most men would go for the larger stones, but these were considerably heavier and harder to travel with, and cutting them took such energy that much time and monies were wasted in the process.

Around the light wells, others were carving and polishing small beads, and animals out of the separated smaller stones, while some children strung the finished beads on thick sinew.

The girl whom had led them there was speaking to Master Julard in a language he didn't recognize and as they talked he had a better opportunity to observe her. She was as tall as the King had been, but her hair was fire red instead of golden, she wore similar colors, but more black than red graced her body. Although her tunic was sleeveless and her arms were covered in white and pink scars.

Hyden's grandfather had been to battle, and he carried many scars like those, scars from swords and arrows. Master Julard's comment about war and battle came back to him in that moment, and he found himself looking around to catch glimpses of the others working around him. Every person his eyes sought, also carried scars on their arms, on their backs, and when he looked closely at a small boy who carved a small fox in the purple stone he saw that one of his legs was missing.

These people knew war.

The conversation between his Master and the girl had ended, and he felt his elbow being led away by one of the tradesmen, a man named Craig.

"They don't like outsiders, much."

"What are we doing here?"

"Trade. They have not the fires nor the tools for metal work, so they need us to come to them. It's a hell of a trip, but the payment is worth it. That rich purple stone is rare in other places, and it is the only currency they keep. One of their beads will feed a man for a month, and feed him handsomely.

"Surely you've noticed working with Master Julard that his Haven business is small and select? Yet you've never wondered how a man who seems to do very little business keeps a house in the high end of Haven?"

In fact Hyden had wondered, many times how it had occurred for Master Julard, and had assumed that perhaps a rich relative had gifted him the house in a will or something of the sort. As he thought about the value of the purple beads he began to understand why Master Julard had been so selective in his taking of an apprentice.

Hyden had been one of fifteen students, but in the end Julard had only taken him on. Even then he had been working for him for three years, and this was his first trip to the desert.

Before Hyden had known it they were bathed in the afternoon light, although the cliff was still high above them offering shade from it's brightest heat. The cavern had opened up to a valley of curvaceous, ancient, water formed rock. Master Julard was gesturing for him to come sit with him on a stretch of fine sandstone.

He said nothing but he was laying out his best swords, including the seventy short curved swords that Hyden had been taught to make over the winter.

Another clan member who was dressed in blood red, came over and inspected each blade, measuring it's weight and balance. Smiling he said something that Hyden interpreted as a thank you to his master, but Julard shook his head and pointed at his apprentice.

The warrior smiled and nodded to him, repeating the word, before taking the leather wrapped bundle away. Hyden expected Julard to stop him, as he had seen so many times in the Haven shop, when a customer hadn't been able to pay on the spot many customers went home empty handed. Master Julard was famous for not accepting credit or owes slips, yet here he sat relaxing against the cool rock as though nothing was wrong.

In another moment a girl appeared out of nowhere with two pouches of liquid, handing each of them their own she smiled and disappeared around a corner.

"Careful with this stuff, it's tasty but you won't feel it until morning. This stuff is worse than Lightning Wine."

Lightning wine, was something that was both treasured and hated in Haven. It was made from "spirits of wine" that the Healers of Collegium made. Except this stuff was made by distilling the Healer's concoction and only the stuff that had evaporated and collected in the ending vile was what you drank. It took several small barrels of Spirit Wine to make one pint of Lightning Wine, and it hit you harder than a Companion at full speed.

"What's it called?"

"I've never asked." He had said as he took a very careful, and small sip.

Not long after this, the other traders began migrating towards their spot; all of them were now empty handed, except for their own pouches of mystery alcohol. Together they sat, making small talk until the sky darkened and the air took on the familiar chill.

When the stars came out, small fires were built, and the warrior princess came to sit with them. She carried something in her arms, something that shown in the distant firelight. When she sat on the other side of Master Julard, Hyden could see the strings of purple beads.

Without saying a word, she began coiling the very, long strands of beads around her palm. From the number of rounds the girl made, Hyden estimated that each strand must have been a little over a yard long. Each of the traders were given one strand, and they stood happily tucking their payment away before seeking the warmth of the fires.

When they had gone she again began to coil beads, but these strands were twice the length of the ones she had given to the traders. These coils she gave to the other three Master traders, one whose name Hyden couldn't even spell yet alone pronounce was a Master of Swords. He too owned a shop in Haven, it was called the Smithery Stop, and they were among the finest swords in the capital city.

The other two dealt in filigree silversmithing, and custom musical instruments, particularly drum making. After receiving their beads they two left for the fires as the traders had.

Now it was only Master Julard and himself.

The girl held no more bead strands in her hands, and she had reached into her clothing. Hyden was about to be scandalized he was sure of it, until she withdrew two medium sized leather pouches that she passed to each of them. Hyden felt the weight and the contents made the sound of marbles; the bag was full to the brim with their payment. She repeated the thank you word and scampered off into the darkness.

"That is your payment, for the swords. You have been accepted into the Trade Circle, you are free to come back at any time you wish to barter with them, but this time of year is the best time to come."

"Why, and what is the Trade Circle?"

"These people do not trust lightly, and they have good reason. Like Valdemar, Karse is their sworn enemy, and they have been at war with each other for over a decade. It is best to come here at this time of year, because this is when the worst weather occurs, and hence this is the one season that the armies of Karse do not come here. As to the Trade Circle?

"There are fifty traders and Masters who barter here, and we all do so under a commitment to something larger than just our work. The distances between the clans spans the distance of countries and they are in need of our summer routes to send messages back and forth. Should you return on your own when your duty to me is over, you will also undertake the responsibility of tending to their messenger needs. I warn you now lad, do not cross these people, or you will not wake the following morning, they have many spies, as I'm sure you saw on our decent. You would never know they were there until you were a soul looking down at your body."

The sun had set completely now, and Hyden Archer brought his attention back to the recent past. He had finished with Master Julard two years later, and had returned to the desert every year since then, until a messenger had sent word to him in mid route, not to go to the desert, because there was no one left to trade with them. The remaining traders had seen this coming for years, and returned to their homes without comment.

Hyden had not taken an apprentice, so there was no one except his wife to explain his sudden return to. He continued with a better business than Julard had had in Haven, and was shocked to be summoned last spring to tea with the new owner of the Smithery Stop, but not so shocked as he was when he beheld the Lady General in the garb of a Herald to be.

He supposed it made a certain amount of sense, no matter how blood thirsty the Warrior Race were in battle, off the field they were very much like the Heralds of Valdemar. Their cause was a similar essence, and their values were based in good. She had asked for specialty work, work that only the Trade Circle could provide. After the Tedrel Wars, many of the Masters had relocated themselves into Haven proper and were readily available to do the work of the Lady General without question, or even a promise of payment. Many of them had grown quite rich off their own enterprises, and had respected the Lady General as they would Queen Selenay herself. He wondered if Lady Marie knew just how many hearts she had won in Valdemar before she had arrived?

The cobble stone streets were shadowed completely in darkness, for which Marie was entirely thankful, she was uncomfortable in the garment she was wearing, if a garment was what you could call it.

In the early moments of twilight Vorn had tapped thrice on her window, signaling her to climb out onto the roof, so they could steal themselves away for the evening.

She had dressed in grey and black and had followed Vorns footfalls on the high roofs of the noble-born, before finding herself in a small hay barn just inside the city walls. Without much ado, Vorn had unpacked a frivolous waste of fabric and instructed her to get into it.

The thing she beheld in her hands was truly appalling. It was deep purple velvet silk, except that it was obviously constructed from scrap material, and along the deep neckline and short hem was a bit of faded pink crochet that couldn't pass for lace to a blind man. Sighing she quickly got into it and had Vorn tie the laces in the back.

"I take it our excursions are leading us to the seedy disreputable part of town?" she almost snapped.

"Alberich's target frequents a particular brothel near the river. We have allies within the establishment who will be of great help to us, but if we want to listen in, we'll have to fit in."

"We? Surely you're not going to allow yourself to be seen?" she half hissed.

"No, I will be else where for a time, but you'll see me again this evening. Around this next alley is an ally who has agreed to be seen with you in your disguise, he will escort you to our destination."

Marie nodded her consent for this plan, and followed Vorn to where her "customer" waited. When she saw Hyden Archer she breathed a sigh of relief, at least Vorn had chosen someone who would understand that there could be much on the line in this adventure. Their position in the street would be obvious to anyone curious enough to look so Marie did her best to act as though this was a normal business venture for a whore. She sauntered to Hyden and smiled widely before taking his arm, although she let him direct her towards the establishment in question.

It was a walk, through some rather interesting residential districts, of which Marie had little to comment about, and then they were standing in front of a rather tall brick and thatch roof building that had a light in every window. Above the door swung a sign that read "The Gypsy Jewel".

Upon going inside she saw in proper light, what she had perceived to be patchwork cloth, in dim light, had really been a pattern of long vertical strips of fabric that appeared to be alternating color stripes in the fabric. It was actually constructed rather well, the crochet still looked a bit tattered, but in comparison her dress was far more elegant than those of the other girls. She would have felt uncomfortable but a woman she supposed to be the Mistress came over to her, gave her a warm smile and a kiss on her check before handing her a long brass key that held an enamel number on its head, and a blue ribbon tied around its neck. When the other patrons saw this exchange they focused their attention on the pair with what could have been respect in any other location. The other girls paid her no more notice and went back to their business.

"Holding that key means that you are special, and entertain only the super wealthy, hence my role here, to make the story believable. We are to go upstairs to the room that fits this key, the Mistress will meet us up there."

Marie and Hyden made their way through the sea of faces, and up the grand stairs in the back corner. The key depicted the number four, and so to room four they went. When they arrived the Mistress was already there, sitting on a fur-covered chair, looking calm.

Hyden closed the door, and stood off to the side.

The Mistress rose from the chair and crossed the room to stand before Marie. When she spoke Marie heard the familiar dulcet tones she thought she would never hear again,

"My Lady, what may I do to assist you?"

"You are from Jkatha?"

"I am, as are many of the girls here."

The clans in Jkatha had social structures that allowed the use of people for pleasure, a custom that the Running Clans did not share, but did not judge either. Their ways were their own, and theirs alone to judge.

"What have you been told already?"

"I know that you seek a red cloaked man, but I must warn you Lady, a Herald in disguise also follows him. If you wish to remain n this hunt, unseen, you must be wary. He is slick, with many faces, voices, and a working knowledge of the city."

"I know of him." She said, not wanting to give too much away.

"Your hunted man comes in once a week, this night in fact. He always frequents this room, and he should be arriving in a few moments."

She took Marie's hand and led her to a span of wall, which appeared totally unremarkable, which meant that there was something to be seen. Hyden was behind them also searching the wall for something out of the ordinary. His time in the deserts had taught him well to look more closely at the details of the ordinary.

Marie was the first to notice the nearly invisible seam in the white and blue rose wallpaper. She raised her hand to the surface and pushed in gently, feeling the wall give slightly and shift to the right, sliding into the corridor behind the wall. The Mistress ushered them both in and closed the door behind them,

"From here you cannot look but you can listen. When you wish to leave, there is a door at the end of the corridor to your left; it will lead you back to the main stair. Remember when you leave, he must leave first, to avoid suspicion."

With that, the audience was over and they heard her leave.

Hyden placed a hand on her shoulder in the faint light to gain her attention.

"I have done my duty Lady, and I think it would be safer if I didn't know the details of this business, with your word, I will take my leave."

"I find that acceptable," she said and though he couldn't see it, she bowed her head to him.

Hyden turned and left down the cramped corridor, which did indeed lead him out onto the first landing of the grand stair. As he began his languid decent a familiar voice stopped him,

"Why, Master Hyden I thought that was you, how lovely to see you and at such a fine establishment."

"My, my, Lord Carthwright, how unexpected."

"Don't look so worried man, I never saw you, if you never saw me?" the man winked.

"Of course, of course, if you will excuse me?" Hyden said making a rather hasty retreat.

Lord Carthwright was a corrupt man, whom Hyden couldn't abide; unfortunately they were both members of the Guild and hence were forced to attend the same social gatherings. Although this sighting may cause his stress should his wife ever get wind of it, it was Lady Marie's best interest if he was seen; therefore she was given an alibi if something came of it.

In a way he owed her people a debt of his life, he had learned later that if a message hadn't been sent to the traders in route last summer, that they likely would have been killed in that battle that had raged there.

Covering his head with his cloak he headed for home, hoping her campaign, whatever it was, yielded good things.

Alberich had been following the red-cloaked man all night in the hopes that he would learn more about his contacts. He almost groaned aloud when his target entered The Gypsy Jewel. It wasn't that Alberich had anything more against this business than the other Haven brothels, but this one was definitely the busiest and therefore the most crowded, no matter what night he went in. He thanked his lucky stars that he had chosen to run with his favored, old man of wealth, garb that evening. It was the only character than would go unnoticed in a place like this.

His man was already heading for the stairs when Alberich spotted him from the doorway. He found it strange, his target had no girl on his arm, but the general rule here was that only escorted men could ascend the staircase. Following his example he strode through the room as though he owned the right to go upstairs, and began mumbling something about old bones, when one of the girls looked as though she might stop him, but she smiled at him as she passed and said nothing. Alberich glanced quickly about and found the girl talking intently with the Mistress, but couldn't linger on his suspicion at the moment. He broke character for as much time as it took him to mount the stairs in haste, and he growled in frustration as he caught a tiny glimpse of a hooded figure sitting in a chair through the door that his man had just walked through. The door closed and Alberich knew he had lost the chase, but oh how he wished he could have heard what they were saying, if in fact they were saying anything.

He was tired, so many of the leads he had spent months trying to procure had yielded him nothing. Even with Aaron's help, the thief had disappeared completely from the Eye's view, and his target had ceased to meet with anyone in public places as of late. He sighed and made his way back downstairs to sit in a velvet chair to wait for his man's exit.

Marie sat cross-legged in the small corridor and waited for Alberich's target to arrive. As she lowered herself to the floor she noticed a small sliver of space at the hinge in the wall where she could see into the room. She pressed her cheek to the wood panel surface and squinted to make out the clear features of the room.

Her wait was not long, but the first person to enter the room, was not a man, nor was she one of the girls. This was a court Lady by the look of it. Her dress was a dark green that hung in the latest fashion, and she wore a long enveloping cloak, with the hood kept up, disallowing Marie to make any sort of mark of her face. As the woman sat in the chair the Mistress had occupied before, Marie noted that this woman sat rigidly, and it was apparent that she was not here for a "night visit".No, her manner spoke of business of a formal kind.

After a while the woman began drumming her fingers against the top of her right knee in a clear show of impatience.

The door creaked as it opened hastily, and shut loudly. Marie could not see the man's face either, but she could see the red cloak that Vorn had described to her.

"You are late." The woman's voice was clipped.

"I am sorry, it couldn't be helped."

"What have you to tell me?"

"The loose end has been taken care of, he will no longer interfere with the plan. Everything you need is in there." His voice becoming tight as he spoke.

Marie saw him hand a bundle to the woman, whose voice literally made her skin crawl.

"Tell your contacts it shall be done by the fall harvest."

"Yes Milady."

That was the end of the conversation, and Alberich's target left the room as though demons were chasing him. The woman waited a few minutes before leaving herself. Marie sighed heavily,

"How many of these meetings have occurred?" she asked the darkness.

She hadn't heard him, but she knew he was there.

"Seven." Aaron answered.

"And you've heard them all?"

"Yes Lady."

"Tell me."

"The woman is from the palace, but she keeps her face well hidden, and I have yet to discover who she is. The loose end the man referred to was a business associate who couldn't keep his mouth shut when he drank, he will be found tomorrow in his own bed. The bag he gave her contains many different herbs not normally found here in Valdemar, together they can be used in many things from sleeping tea to poison."

"And her deed to be completed before Harvest?" she pushed.

"Something to do with Talamir. They are never very specific, I think they know that there are listening chambers in these walls…at least they suspect it anyway."

Marie nodded.

"You are angry with me." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."she answered.

"Because I helped Alberich without your permission."

"No, I am angry that I had to ask Vorn to find out what you have been doing lately. You didn't need my permission to do what you felt was right, but you do have a duty to tell me what you do, or have you forgotten?" she said sternly although her voice was soft.

Aaron sucked in his breath a little, her voice sounded dangerous.

"I haven't forgotten, Lady General I did not hide it from you."

"No, but you_ did _hide from me."

Marie stood as much as she could in the small corridor, and turned away from him.

He made no move to follow her, and went his own way out through a smoke shaft to the roof. When he got there he saw Vorn sitting on the pitch waiting for him.

"How mad was she?"

"Disappointed."

"Why didn't you tell her what you were doing? You know how much she hates being in the dark about anything."

"And what are we, if not in the dark?"

"No, Aaron, not we, you. That's what this is about. You don't think we're in the dark, you know that you are. You were sent here what? Four almost five years ago to act as some sort of silent watching emissary, and not privy to the goings on at home or the other eyes for all that time…other than what Hyden was able to get to you? You are angry that you don't know what we know."

"Yes."

"Well get over it. Your oaths were not to be included in everything she knows, or that the rest of us know. She keeps you out for a reason, and you swore to trust that judgment no matter what hardships it causes you. Have you been away so long that you've forgotten what being an Eye really means?" Vorn scolded his friend.

"No, I just wish I was as trusted as you."

"Aaron, the friend we knew growing up died with her father, she is Lady General. She cannot do her job and worry about our feelings. She will always love us, and we will be forever bonded together, but she has more going on right now than anyone, even I, realizes."

Aaron looked away, still slightly fuming inside, but he nodded.

Vorn stayed only long enough to assert that he had gotten the message before he jumped the roof. Marie was already undoing the laces of the dress when he reached the small alley behind the building. He traded the dress for her running gear and kept watch while she changed. One of the girls from the Gypsy Jewel came towards the back alley just long enough to throw out some trash and grab the dress from Vorn in one seamless gesture.

"Thanks for the loan." He said smoothly.

"She looked good in it." It was all the girl said, before she turned to go back into the brothel.

The walk back to Collegium was a silent avenue until Vorn broke the silence as they came to Palace Wall.

"He didn't mean it as a betrayal, it's been rough for him to be so cut off from the others." He saw her about to interject and rushed on, "I know, we agreed that this was best, and it is for everyone involved, but I'm just saying."

"I understand, I just expected more."

"I did too, but you know that sometimes what you do in best intentions may dig your own grave. He's still our man, he's still worth while, he just got a little lost."

Marie nodded and climbed the wall, seeking naught but her bed.

A/N: I didn't forget about my lovely readers, but I did get super busy in my Grad program, and plus I rehashed the plot for this story about four times before I was sure I would be able to finished it. I will try to update soon.


	16. Chapter 16

Unknown Wars Chapter 16 Arrows and Allies

Talamir sat rigidly next to the Queen at High Court. It was customary on the eve before Midsummer began to host a welcoming of the season with the Noble and Guildsmen class. He had done this every year for much of his adult life, yet this year he had not the heart for the long line of landowners and master artisans. He sighed, knowing his duty was to remain bored until the feast was announced.

Further down the line that, no doubt, stretched out the door and around the courtyard Talamir spied Guildsman Master Hyden and smiled. Master Hyden had always struck Talamir as a man of worth, and he was a rather good conversationalist. Talamir made note to have the Guildsman around for a drink one of these nights.

Master Hyden strode forward, his wife on his arm, at the Queen's beckoning. After bowing to Selenay, he turned slightly towards her guardian Herald and gave the elderly man a significant look.

Talamir took the clue and stood to personally greet the man, which was not uncommon at audiences such as these. The two friends shook hands and said blessings for the season, and under the cover of clasped arms and hands Master Hyden pushed the parchment from his palm into the cuff of Talamir's sleeve.

The greeting ceremony went on for another two candle marks before the lavish feast began. The Queen who had barely said anything in Talamir's direction for some time, suddenly whispered behind her wine goblet,

"So are you going to read the note, or keep me in suspense?" she teased.

Talamir, chuckling, took the small parchment out of this sleeve and unfolded it in his napkin.

_"Black arrows hunt foxes."_

The words were brief but the implications were mounted with danger. Wasting no time, Talamir gave Herald Kyril a silent signal and passed the note to the Queen.

Selenay read the paper, and leaned back towards the Monarch's Own for explanation. To the guests of the high table the Queen was wearing a smile and seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with the grandfatherly Herald. They had no idea that alarms were being sent in all directions of the castle to warn that the assassins of Karse had come.

….

In the hours of false dawn, Talamir huddled next to his fire deep in conversation with Vorn. Their words were barely that of murmurs and none except for the mice under the floorboards could decipher them. Vorn's face was tight and his eyes were intently searching for anything in Talamir's expression, but the Herald took in all the information with the same serene eyes, and the same mysterious little smile.

"It is hard to say how, but I have expected this for some time."

"Not so hard, Herald. You have been the quiet elderly observer for the past two decades. One of our most valuable spies is a man older than you, often discredited for his white hair shaky voice and wrinkled appearance, yet we owe much of this advance warning to him," Vorn said.

"You are meeting tomorrow."

"Yes, the tricky part is getting there."

Talamir's only response was a slight rising of his eyebrows.

"Master Hyden offered you his shop did he not?"

"He did, but that's a fair stretch away from Collegium. Marie has to make it through the township proper without being noticed by any mercenaries lurking about, but still recognizable enough to keep an eye on her."

Talamir sat on his thoughts for a few moments, holding his chin in his hand and staring at the ember remains of his fire. Slowly his frown of concentration became the mischievous smile he had been known for in his youth.

…..

A few scant hours later Marie was staring between the ensemble of wealth laid out on her bed, two Heralds and Jeri who were trying to convince her to wear it.

"Hundreds of generations of strategy and Herald mischief and this is what you come up with?" Marie muttered.

"Oh come now it isn't that bad." Jeri snickered.

"It is from where I stand." She shot back.

Sighing, Keren and Ylsa pushed towel and fragrant soap into her hands and launched her in the direction of the bathing room. Marie did as she was bid and left her keepers to sort out her disguise.

Keren picked up the elaborate dress and looked at it with a trained eye.

"We're going to have to make some changes to this. If she gets targeted she's going to have to be able to move fluidly."

"That leaves off the billowed sleeves then."

"The hem is going to be a problem too."

"No, not with the corset, it should be fine."

"Just so we're clear, your father understands that this dress will come back in tatters if at all." Keren tempered.

"I simply told him I needed it for official business and he acquiesced." Jeri smiled.

Keren and Ylsa shared an amused look, before bending over the task of last minute alterations.

When Marie emerged from her bath, the light fragrance of rose wafted from her skin. She liked the scent, but it made her feel vulnerable as well. She had imagined all sorts of worst-case scenarios when she had left for the tub room, but she wasn't prepared for the skills of Ylsa and Jeri.

Hanging on the hook of her wardrobe door hung a whimsical moss green dress, and matching day cloak. She blinked several times before looking to her seamstresses who sat amidst the sacrificial billows of fabric that had been discarded from the original garment.

The dress Jeri had first presented her with had made her question her friend's sanity. It had been a cream color with large floral print roses that had been made with so many yards of silk that it billowed over the hips like thunderclouds. On Marie's small frame it would have drowned her, and the crimson roses would have clashed painfully with her hair.

Marie sighed a deep breath of relief, and began the trial of getting into yet another dress, a thought that made her chuckle.

"What's the giggle about then?" Ylsa nudged.

"It seems that my duty to my people and to that of Valdemar involves the wearing of dresses and being escorted by men." She laughed.

"I see, such a rough life you have." Keren joked.

"I must know how this was born of that?" She asked, gesturing from the wispy material she wore to the ugly parent on her bed.

"Oh simple. This green dress is really just the under dress of the rose one. The corset is the same cream of that dress, but with a green vine pattern instead of the roses. The hem is straight from the waist and will be long enough to hide whatever shoes you wear." Jeri explained.

As she spoke Marie picked up her sickle blades and a small bundle of papers that she shoved into the space between her dress and the bodice. It wasn't much and she would need a moment of safety to get at them, which could be tricky in a fight, but it was the best that could be achieved.

"The bodice and sleeves are simple and straight as well so you shouldn't be impaired in mobility or reach. We'll keep the corset looser than normal so you can still breathe." Keren added.

"Now, about your hair. You look younger than you are, and you are not married so most girls would wear their hair down, but you need yours up and out of the way-"

"Don't, any assassin will be looking for anything out of place, even something as simple as how I wear my hair. If this is how I need to look to be invisible, then so be it." Marie interjected.

Ylsa nodded, and began brushing, combing and taming the deep red locks. In the end she had made tiny braids that circled her head like a vine crown while the rest of her hair flowed down her back with its natural wave.

Her face was lightly painted, to emphasize the shadows over her eyes and to redden her lips only a little darker than normal. However over all of that work was tied a cloth and leather mask to cover her eyes and nose. It was green and crimson silk leaves to match the original dress, but with her altered outfit it was perfect.

Marie donned the feather light silk cloak that was merely for modesty rather than efficiency, and the slipper shoes that Jeri had found for her in town. Marie looked at her reflection in the long mirror, and thought she could have been getting married she looked so fine. She felt her cheeks grow warm and she turned away and headed for the door.

"Think she'll be okay?" Ylsa worried after Maries retreating form.

"No doubts, I'd be more worried about Alberich." Jeri concluded slyly.

"Oh Jeri you're impossible!" Keren exclaimed.

Marie could hear the exclamations of her friends and blushed even harder, but their comments got her thinking.

What would he say when he saw her like this?

What do I want him to say?

She couldn't think too hard on it, for Alberich was coming across the corridor in a russet variation of his usual charcoal grey uniform, and Marie was reminded of the heavy task ahead of her.

Alberich had seen Marie pass one of the windows moments before she entered the courtyard below the Trainee's dormitory. Now that she was encased in full sunlight, he found that he was having trouble breathing.

Normally the fancy frocks of the court beauties held no interest for him, he wasn't so interested in what women wore to impress their men. However, it was quite different when he knew this woman for all her bravery, and frailty, her mind and her heart. She was beautiful of spirit and of face, and in the borrowed tresses of pale green and cream she was breathtaking.

He had to mentally shake himself to connect once more to the real world and the duties at hand. For when he saw her eyes he saw no frivolity, only the stern intention of a warrior in a nice dress. Remembering his role he took her arm and escorted her through the private courtyard into the palace hallways. They were due to use the courtier's entrance into the city, and from there they would pass through Merchant's Row and then further out into the houses of the Gentry.

Master Hyden's work was mostly through commission and he had prospered so much that he hadn't needed to keep his Merchant shop in town. Instead he had converted an old garden shed on the back of his house as his private shop. There he was able to maintain the safety of his work, and stay close to his wife and children.

Once outside the Palace walls more than Eyes would watch them, they would be seen although hopefully unnoticed by the murderers for pay who were reportedly in the city proper waiting for their prize. Marie walked as she had been instructed to by Jeri, and let Alberich lead her footsteps along the cobblestone streets. When the sun hit her face once more she beheld the overly crowded walks and was grateful for Alberich's commanding presence to guide her. There were faces everywhere, some masked like hers, some sun burnt and smiling, laughing, and hollering to be heard over the din of sellers and street performers. It was, in a nutshell, chaos.

Marie and Alberich hoped to convince their audience that they were father and daughter, or perhaps betrothed in some arranged marriage, for the age difference was not slight. For such appearances to seem as natural as possible, Marie pulled a reluctant Alberich over to one of the booths selling useless colored glass beaded necklaces. Alberich shook his head no, as if to admonish a waste of money, and Marie even pouted to Alberich's inner amusement. Once they were arm in arm again they changed direction and cut through a back alley.

It was in the shade of two taller buildings and away from so much of the din, that Marie saw out of the corner of her eye a flash of mud brown skip over the rooftops. The alley was still littered with people although not as many as on the main circuit, and they could no longer walk at each other's sides. The Armsmaster walked in front while Marie clutched the embroidered elbow of his jerkin.

She made a note to ask him when their situation was less dangerous whom he had borrowed his threads from.

Alberich suddenly turned and swept down an even smaller alley that was exposed totally in sunlight, pulling Marie sharply with him. Marie made herself flat against the brickwork and waited for Alberich to move first. Overhead she could hear the soft footfalls of roof runners, and none of them were friendly. She tugged on Alberich's sleeve and held up four fingers. He nodded, and began sliding down the narrow space between houses.

Marie calculated that they were within two hundred strides of Master Hyden's abode, but there would be a final stretch without cover to reach it. If they had been spotted this soon it would mean that someone had caught wind of their ruse before they had even left the palace. Desperately she prayed to whatever gods were listening that this wasn't the case that those runners were the common house variety thieves, but her gut was shouting otherwise.

They had reached the end of the alley and were facing the wider girthed road that led along the main way to the Gentry district. Alberich poled his head briefly around the side and then pulled it in just as a smallish group of men came around the corner. Alberich recognized Lord Carthwright, of the Weavers Guild escorting an emissary-type with his own group of cronies. The other man was one he didn't recognize in face, but the colors and details of his outfit made him stiffen. The jerkin was a deep saffron silk with inky black trim and overlay embroidery, and at the shoulder, faintly sparkling in the noon daylight were the delicate silver threads stitched into the silhouette of a glorious sun. More than that, though, were the features of the man's face, angular and tanned much darker than most of the people of Valdemar. It may have been a small detail, but with the clothing he wore it was unmistakable, this man either was or had been a Sun Priest Mage of Karse.

Behind him Marie was carefully stretching her head under Alberich's elbow to glimpse a little of what had made her friends go still.

He heard a small hitch of breath, and turned to see Marie's eyes fixed on the foreign man. When she looked at him, he could see an old anger stirring in her soul, and he knew that there was history between them.

Thankfully the men turned to enter the Lord's house and Marie assured him that there were no footfalls to fear. Once again he took up her arm, and guided her long strides down the row to the last house, where Master Hyden was waiting for them.

Master Hyden greeted them as he would any courtiers and took them around his house to the back entrance, which was reserved for important guests. His wife offered to take their outer cloaks, but both declined. He handed Marie the key for his workshop, and then retreated back into his house.

Marie opened the door and greeted Vorn who was already inside.

Vorn smiled and pointed to the fireplace when Alberich gave him an enquiring look.

"It was a tight fit, but it was easier than trying the window unseen."

"Did we have any followers?"

"For a time when you first came out of the palace gates, but that little stunt with the vendors knocked them off your trail."

"What happens now?" Alberich asked.

"Now we wait, they were all within sight distance of us when we were walking that last leg in the street. They will come one by one when it is safe and they cannot be seen, we will not begin the meeting until they have all arrived."

"How many are coming?"

"Nine."

Alberich bowed and made to return the house, but Marie didn't let loose his arm.

"I said we wait, Alberich, that means you too." Marie stated.

"I am not a part of this venture." He began to protest

"You are now, more than you know." Vorn corrected.

Alberich nodded curtly, and walked to the worktable where he surveyed five finished metal carriers, like those the Queen had shown him.

"Master Hyden makes these for you?"

"Yes. He used to be one of a few Valdemarian merchants who would trade with us in the desert."

"How long have you been part our commerce?"

"We've been trading with Rethwellan, Old Jkatha, and Hardorn for over fifteen years. Valdemar started coming a little over a decade ago, and only guild smiths came."

Alberich nodded and carefully picked up one of the carriers avoiding contact with the poisonous filigree. He inspected each one, and found that there were no discernible differences between them. Master Hyden had done exceptionable work indeed.

Marie felt the stuffy air swirl about in dust clouds and removed the mostly useless cloak from her shoulders.

Vorn watched, blushing slightly, as Marie reached down the front of her dress and pulled out her sickle blades and the bundle of papers. Alberich had also lifted his eyes to the awkward sight and was now staring at her with a slightly bemused look on his face.

When Marie's gaze found is, she rose her eyebrows in defiance and asked,

"What? It was the only place left to put them." She said unabashedly.

Vorn blinked a few times, before walking over to her and casually lifting the hem of her skirt up her leg.

Alberich was about to cross the room and punch the insolent spy, until he saw the thinner than standard straight sword sheathed in a thigh brace. She had been walking through the city with that kind of weapon in her skirts? The thought made Alberich laugh inside, but as usual he betrayed nothing in his face. No wonder she had agreed to wearing a dress, there would have been no way to hide it in any other getup, even Herald whites wouldn't have hid that long of a weapon.

Two small pebbles hitting the window interrupted his thoughts, suddenly. Reflexively he drew the short sword that was strapped to his side. Marie ignored him and walked calmly to the window, opened it wide and then sat gracefully on one of the workbenches.

Almost immediately two stealthy figures slid through the opening and stood before Marie. Each was dressed in the pale dust colored clothes that Aaron and Vorn had worn that day in the Cartography room. The figures were looking pointedly at him, and back to their Lady General. Alberich put away his sword and went to stand by the fireplace, where he thought he would be best out of the way, but Vorn blocked his destination and gestured toward the chair next to Marie. Alberich took the seat indicated and returned his attention to the two new comers.

They had been watching him this whole time, and Alberich noticed the minute changes in their stance. Since he had followed Vorn's directions their shoulders had relaxed somewhat, and while they kept their eyes on him at all times, they seemed more curious than anything else.

Marie was speaking to them in a language that sounded both familiar and totally foreign in his ears. It was only when Vorn began speaking as well did he notice that he had taken the chair on Alberich's other side.

The ghost-like movements of these people were remarkable, but also unsettling.

"They are Bryn and Hedley. Bryn comes from the Rethwellan Border with Karse, and Hedley comes from the old territories of Oris.

"Do they not speak the tongue of Karse and Valdemar."

"We do, but choose we another speech for our lady."

The one identified to him as Bryn spoke in a dialect of Karsian that Alberich had expected to never hear again, and he nodded his understanding to her, which she returned with one slight nod of her head.

Vorn leaned in to Alberich's ear and whispered,

"It is important that they each speak the clan greeting in our own language. It not only identifies them as family, but also in rank and position. If we were to greet each other in another tongue we would be opening ourselves up for impersonation and attack." He explained.

Alberich nodded, this all made sense, and he wondered if there had been an incident that had made such a tactic necessary or was this strictly a precautionary endeavor? Interested he listened to the intonation of their words, and at one point he wasn't sure but he thought he heard the Old Karse words for "lord" and "missing". Marie was engaged in what seemed like polite conversation but he noticed that her hand was slowly reaching for his own.

No thoughts of uncertainty came across him them, he looked at her hand and took it up under his own, cradling it tenderly. The touch of her strong fingers gave peace to an old secret place in his heart. When he turned his attention to the Eyes before him, they were looking at their clasped hands, and then back to Marie who nodded once.

Alberich felt their eyes pass him to seek out Vorn, he couldn't see what Vorn's expression was, but whatever it had been seemed to be the last calming stone in the well, for they loosed their scarves and Alberich could finally see their sun tanned faces. Bryn had black hair like Vorn, and the same piercing grey eyes. Perhaps his sibling or first cousin? Hadley had mouse brown curls about his face, and dark eyes, that seemed to echo the night sky. Alberich thought Marie's people quite handsome from his small sampling.

"Alberich, my sister Bryn Crow, and Hadley Thorn." Vorn introduced his kin.

Alberich nodded, as he noted that Vorn did not address him as Herald, but supposed that Marie's Eyes might already be aware of his title, not that it mattered here really. It was a strange feeling to be regarded by non-Heralds as anything so simple as his first name. It was a private luxury he had quite forgotten since the early days of his youth.

The day continued furiously hot as they waited for the others, and though they were each very bored, none of them spoke. Once or twice a maid from the main house came with bucket of water and another of simple day food. When Alberich asked, it was made clear that the garden and the front door of this hut, were entirely visible from other roofs and the serving girl would need to look like she was doing every day chores. To bring them anything was a danger for the messenger.

The sun crawled across the sky, and soon it rested directly overhead, making the small shop unbearably hot inside, at least for Alberich. The others sat or lent against the cool walls under the window or beside the fireplace looking quite content as though it were a pleasant day, and he supposed that to a people used to the harsh climate of the desert that this heat might seem like nothing.

Again a servant came to shop, but this time she carried nothing with her but a small note in Hyden's handwriting. Marie read it quickly and nodded to the girl, who scurried back to the house. When she turned back to her assembled party she was speaking in a clipped tongue and giving some sort of hissed instructions. Almost immediately her spies had donned their scarves and had taken up their weapons. Alberich stood and with widened eyes he watched as three nimble bodies silently climbed the smooth brick wall like insects and sat on their haunches in the shadows of the crossbeams. Turning to Marie he saw her take off her long sword, and toss it to Vorn who half stood on the center beam above their heads. She next threw her sickle blades to the one called Bryn, and replaced the silk cloak about her shoulders, before extending her arm to Alberich, who accepted his previous role.

Cautiously Marie opened the shop door a few inches and peered onto the stone walk that led to the house. The servant girl was standing by the door holding up her hands in a stopping motion. Marie took a deep breath and held it, until she saw the girl beckoning her to come out. She pushed the door open and was glad that Master Hyden kept it well oiled, for it hardly made any sound. The tile roof had no eave, and she knew they would have to move quickly to remain unseen, by any who might be on the house roof.

The servant girl pointed in earnest to her far left, and Marie saw another servant this one a small boy of ten or so who was motioning for her to run to his location. Marie didn't think twice about the opportunity and pulled Alberich harshly to their right, running across the dry, brown grass of the back garden to the small boy. Her heart was beating so hard she almost didn't hear the hard voice of the foreigner who now stood just a few feet behind the servant girl, who was curtseying to him. She and Alberich reached the boy just as the emissary exited the main house with Master Hyden and another Lord she didn't know, on their way to Hyden's shop.

When the three men exited the house, the servant boy pushed them behind a large leafed fig tree that was bunched up against the corner of the garden wall and the main house. He had been instructed to keep them out of sight until the Mistress of the house came to collect them. Curious, he poked his head around the bush and saw that Master Hyden was blocking the other men's view from their current location.

Master Hyden was walking to the left of both men, trying desperately to dissuade them from either looking behind him, or going into his shop, claiming that it wasn't clean enough for perusal. The two lords were having none of his excuses and were actively cracking jokes about the fickle natures of Guildsmen and their workstations.

"Come now, how dirty can a small shop such as yours be? Your work is what we are interested in, not the state in which you do it." Lord Carthwright was saying.

"Yes and I have been hearing such wondrous things about your trade, surely you will not deny a man such as me the opportunity to gloat that I was honored with a tour of your work shop?" The emissary beamed with a fake sly smile.

Master Hyden knew that he would have to show these men his shop, or come up with a better excuse for his refusal. As there was nothing more he could say he sighed and opened the heavy door, hoping that his visitors had made it out in time. There was, unfortunately, no hiding of the relief in his face when his shop appeared to be empty.

"Why the pale face Master Hyden? If this is what you call messy, I would hate for you to see my workshop." Lord Carthwright jeered.

"I suppose my servants got to this room after all, the house has been so busy with Midsummer preparations I was sure they would have missed this room. Well no matter." He covered his unease smoothly.

Meanwhile Marie and Alberich were still huddled against the high wall of the main house behind a large flowering tree, waiting for their next signal. Marie was watching the corner of the shop intently, when the foreigner was no longer in view, she saw Hyden's wife, Lady Archer come out of the house and motion for them to run to her. Alberich went first this time, his long strides making it in ten steps. Marie followed suit and was soon pushed into the main house and hurried into the dining room.

"Lord Carthwright called not long ago with that man from Karse. My husband and I had to improvise by telling them that you" gesturing to Alberich," and your ward would be joining us for dinner." She explained in a slightly apologetic voice.

"Why not just let us leave?" Alberich hissed.

"Because Lord Carthwright has his own standing of cronies who are now standing at the entrance to our home," she explained.

"So there would be no way out." Marie murmured.

"How did you explain our previous absences?" Alberich asked.

"I said that you had been fatigued by the heat, and were taking rest for the hottest part of the day." Lady Archer supplied. "My maid will take you to Hyden's study where you will be undisturbed, I will send for you when dinner is ready."

The maid, was the same girl servant who had warned them in the shop, she smiled at Marie and led the two Heralds up the stairs to a larger room with white washed walls and dark stained furniture. When she left Marie crossed her arms over her front and paced the length of the room with slow patient steps.

"Marie."

She stopped, although she didn't turn.

"I need to know what is going on, if to help you I am." he was speaking his native Karse now.

"The Sun Priest of Karse? He is an old enemy. He was there at Kabina Zoufaly. He never really took a good look at me, but I know him. He was a spy at one point, probably still is, except now he has land, title and his own private mercenaries." She said shallowly.

"Will he know your face?"

"Unlikely, his views on women are typical of Karse. We are to be conquered, and once that is done, thought no more on." She laughed a small hallow chuckle that made Alberich look at her sharply.

"It is of interest to me how much you know, and particularly what you think you know about Karse." Alberich said defensively.

He couldn't help it, yes he was outcast from his country, but it was still a part of him. Long ago he had put away his feelings about killing his own, and betraying his people to their sworn enemies for the duty of something much greater. However, no matter how long or loyally he served the people, country and Queen of Valdemar, he was a Karsian as pure as the day he was born. For all his country's faults and corruption of power, it was still his and he would have no one speak so casually about it.

Marie looked up into his eye, and saw that she had offended the part of him that was still of Karse. She understood that piece of him, she had since was a child, when she first learned how normal people lived. She had envied their simple lives, their small industries and even their roles and rules about gender. It was hard to explain to a person of Valdemar, or even to another of her family how quiet and peaceful she had found her short life as a citizen of Karse. Although she had been a child, she had seen and absorbed much in those few months, and though she had never said as much, she hadn't wanted to go back to her father's life, not wholly.

She sighed, and reached up with one hand to remove the mask that had shielded her eyes from the harsh glare of the summer sun. She laid the mask and ribbon on a small table before looking back up at Alberich. She wasn't sure what to say that could answer his question, but what she could say she knew would be safe.

She turned from him again and crossed a short distance to stand in front of a tapestry depicting sheep on a hill with the Collegium in the background against a bright blue sky. Reaching up she fingered the knotted fringe at its edge, trying to ignore the regret that was creeping into her heart.

"When you," she stopped briefly, "when Karse came to my home and captured the warriors and the small ones I was angry. Angry at being taken from my home, away from my father, everything I had ever known. I remember sitting in the back of that wagon, watching the soldiers jeer and hurt my elders. I understood then that these black soldiers were the enemy, not to be trusted, and that everything they were was evil."

She was speaking as though this were a fairytale she were recounting from a book she had once read. How could she be this casual about her life? Marie shook her head slightly and made herself turn to face her Herald, as she thought of him. Except he was no longer looking at her, he seemed transfixed by the details of the massive table in the center of the room, and the writing instruments lying on it.

"And then I met you."

He did look up at her then, with a curious yet smoldering expression.

"You took an interest in us. You came every few days to ask us questions. Questions about my father, about our lives, how we were treated. You brought us to our first prayers of Vkandis, and told us the creation stories of the Sun. We knew you had been on the battlefield that day, many of us had seen you. It was someone under your influence who allowed us to see our captured friends, knowing that any day they would either burn or hang in the square. It was kindness beyond measure."

Alberich had never mentioned the kindnesses he had done all those years ago, and had thought that maybe too much had happened for her to remember them all. He had taken a keen interest in her, and he had wanted her to be happy in her new, yet forced life.

"How did you manage to free the captured."

"I didn't. They did that all on their own. My only part in their escape was to lift the clothing they would need to get out of the city."

"It was assumed that you had orchestrated it all because in the end only one other child besides yourself was missing in the morning."

Marie turned her head back toward the wall at his last comment.

Her curious behavior made him ask another question.

"Why did the other children not return with you?"

"They didn't wish to return." She said very quietly in a stone-cast voice.

"Not return to their home? Their parents?" Alberich was confused.

Marie shook her head sadly,

"Do you remember what I said to you that day on the battlefield? I told you 'children are not born children here, it is not a luxury we keep.' While we lived in Karse as citizens, even if we were servants or little more than slaves, we were still children. Do you not see? For the first time in any of our lives we were allowed to be children. We were allowed to play games that were not oriented around war strategy or food gathering. We were fed food everyday, and given warm clothing. We were given beds instead of hung nets tied into the nooks of rocks. And our families, besides myself and Bryn most of their families had been torn apart by Karse's first assault, for many of them there was no one left to go back to."

Somewhere in the middle of her plea for him to understand, she had lost her resolve on her emotions and she felt her heart pounding in her frustration and anguish.

"Bryn, your spy she was the other girl who came back with you and the others?" Alberich murmured, finally putting the pieces together.

Marie could only nod.

"Did you like the options open to you, as the other children did?"

Marie didn't answer, but she felt a single tear slide down her cheek.

"It doesn't make you a traitor to your people if you did. It doesn't make you weak if you regret going back. Did you want to stay there?"

Again Marie could only nod, as her strong words had fled her heart.

Alberich's heart went out to her, for he too knew how hard such an admission was for a leader to make. She had led a life of duty by circumstance and had as a small child been tempted by a simpler existence. What troubled him was that after all these years she was still ashamed of it, and it still wore on her soul. He crossed the distance between them and put his hand under her chin. Gently he raised her face until he could see her amber flecked eyes flickering at him like flames.

"We all regret, we are all tempted to live a life without such pains as we two know, it makes us human. You are strong in body and in mind, do not doubt yourself because of a wish for something beautiful." He found himself saying.

He knew not where such wisdom came from, but it seemed to be what she needed, for her eyes brightened and she was smiling at him. Her smile eased him and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her small frame. His nose picked up the rose scent of her hair and he breathed deeply before laying a chaste kiss on the top of her braid bound head.

"Ahem."

The sudden sound made both turn and break apart. Instead of Lady Archer, or the maid girl, Lord Carthwright and the Sun Lord stood in the doorway with a slightly frazzled Master Hyden standing behind them.

Alberich stood in front of Marie, who suavely kept her head down, not looking at either gentlemen in the eye. Jeri had been very poignant about the manners of a young lady. Until they addressed her she was to not look at anyone, male, in the eye.

"My apologies, we didn't mean to intrude, but Lady Archer mentioned that you would be joining us for dinner." The lord said.

Alberich had only encountered Lord Carthwright on a few occasions at court, and even then his lordship had not deemed a Herald worthy to take note of, something Alberich considered very good in this situation. Master Hyden was entering the room and making significant eyes at Marie. Turning to his neighbor he declared,

"This is my cousin Master Ahmed, and his ward Miss Ivy." Master Hyden introduced jovially.

Alberich's eyebrows rose a fraction at the name Hyden had chosen for him. So the game was to make no mistake that he was born in Karse? That would make things interesting. For her part he gestured toward Marie as he would to an inferior. Gracefully she took the silent cue and made a deep respectful curtsey to the Lord and his dangerous friend.

"Ahmed is it, not a name of Valdemar?" the emissary poked.

"No I am born of Karse, near the border with Rethwellan." Alberich intoned, with a slight accent of that region.

"I am Czesar Syut, a fellow follower of Karse's Sun."

He said this meaningfully, as if to imply that being born in Karse was not enough to generate sympathy in the eyes of the Karsian God. Alberich twitched his cheek to imply as equally that this statement was accepted and understood. To his relief the eyes of the dangerous man before them softened, and Alberich could see his guard being dropped ever so slightly.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, and the acquaintance of such a lovely lady as your ward."

Alberich didn't like the way he was looking at Marie as though she were an object he could buy, but he did note that there didn't seem to be any recognition in the emissary's eyes when he looked at her. Syut bent his head over her outstretched hand, as was customary in Valdemar. The vile man kissed it politely before returning his attention to Lord Carthwright who was commenting on the tapestries hanging on the walls.

Lady Archer saw an opportunity and took Marie's elbow and led her away from the gathered men. They languished on the stair railing just outside the study, still within view but out of earshot. The older woman began fussing with something invisible on Maries shoulder, while she whispered into her ear,

"An old man with a harp came to the kitchen door, begging for a bardic audience with Miss Fox, he is in the dining hall. Go now," she urged.

Marie walked carefully down the stairs and back into the dining room where she saw Ragnon Wanderer, Aaron's paternal grandfather, and an old friend of her father's. Careful of any possible audience she greeted him in her native tongue while her body language spoke of a curious awkwardness that might be perceived as shy girlishness.

"Ragnon, have you come safely or stealthily?"

"Stealthily I'm afraid Lady."

"Have you seen any of the others?"

"Aaron Wanderer, Vorn and Bryn Crow await with Hadley Thorn and Jesten Wolf in the twilight shadows of the eaves."

Marie bent her head back with a hilarity to cover her gaze into the rafters where seven pairs of colored orbs blinked within the faces of her Eyes. Aaron waved at her a bit amusedly. At the corner where three beams met in a pinned junction, squatting in an open windows under the eaves she saw Jacob Wanderer her first cousin from her mother's sister. He gave her a deep nod, which she tried to return, but the footfalls on the stairs announced their lack of time.

Quickly Marie found her place card and stood by her chair, with her back to the elderly bard.

Ragnon had waited until the lords were in the back garden before climbing down from the high pitched roof, where he had waited most of the day. From there he had dropped himself into the alley and knocked on the kitchen door that fed into the back alley near the trash heaps. He had expected a cook or maid to greet him, but instead the Lady Archer herself had greeted him.

She had offered him food and wine, which he had declined. He delivered his message just as his grandson had told him to say it, and he was immediately led into the grand dining room. Not ten minutes later the Lady General had come into the room.

Ragnon hadn't seen her in a year, and she had done quite a fair share of growing up in that time. She was always tall, like her mother, but something in her eyes was softer than he could ever remember seeing there before. Now he sat in a comfortable chair in the corner with his harp, watching the other house guests file into the room, from behind his curtain of white hair.

Czesar Syut was known to every Eye, by name, face and reputation. The lord at his side had only been a brief mention from his grandson, but if he was in the friendly companionship of Syut then he was playing in dark waters.

Master Archer and his wife were a fine couple, prosperous and well thought of. Although Hyden had always been an honorable fellow, so it wasn't a surprise that he had married well.

The last guest to cross the threshold made a lump form in the back of Ragnon's throat. There in russet garb was the grown Karsian soldier from the battlefield. The young man turned to strong build and sharp hawk-like eyes, it could be no other but the Lady General's lost lord.

When Alberich entered the room his eyes went straight for the old man in the corner. He heard Lady Archer introduce him as a traveling Bard from the northern territory, but he knew instinctively that this had to be one of Marie's spies. As if the old man had heard him, Alberich was graced with a small wink that could have easily been the twitch of an old man's eye. He found his seat next to Marie and moved to hold her chair out for her, but it was intercepted by Lord Syut at the last minute.

Marie blushed and allowed the vile man to her left help her into her seat. Lord Caethwright seemed amused by her reluctance to speak to him or his guest and so addressed her directly.

"So Miss Ivy, I do not believe I have seen you at court, have you just recently arrived?"

Marie hadn't counted on anyone speaking to her and looked to Alberich, who answered,

"She is a guest in town for the season, but I do not want her to be too engrossed with the bustle of Valdemar's court." He said evenly.

"Quite." Syut interjected, "Too much frivolity isn't suggested for young ladies in my country, it tends to spoil them." Turning to her he asked,

"How do you find Valdemar, Miss Ivy?"

His question made it impossible for her not to answer. Clearing her throat she spoke softly almost submissively,

"It is much cooler here than at home, I find this weather rather pleasant." She said simply, letting her Karsian accent through the Valdemarian words.

Lord Syut nodded and directed the table conversation from there to the differences between his country and Valdemar, to which Alberich found he could join in with little to no effort, giving his mind time to survey the rest of the room. He had already seen Aaron and Vorn in the rafters, and although he couldn't be sure he guessed that there were more than two Eyes up there with them.

Marie kept her head down for most of the meal, and answered only questions directly asked of her, and even then she kept her responses short and quiet like a proper submissive woman should. Secretly she thought that she was over dong it sometimes, but the encouraging squeeze of Alberich's hand under the table linen showed her he approved of her tactic.

The meal was treacherously long, although the music played was light and airy. Marie found herself getting lost in more than one of Rangon's melodies and she felt it was his way of lending her his support in this tense situation. Finally the cheese and fruit platters were taken away and Lord Carthwright announced that they should be returning to his abode for the night. Marie stood and said a simple farewell to his lordship.

Czesar Syut had been studying this girl for what seemed like hours, and there was something about her that he could not put his finger on, something nebulous that attracted him.

"I should very much like to call upon you again before I leave for my home, might that be arranged?" the last bit was said more to Alberich than to Marie.

Marie was blushing again, not for embarrassment, but in anger of this man's gall to look at Alberich as though he were nothing more than her keeper. Marie focused her eyes on the stone floor at her feet, for she was sure that if she raised her eyes to the odious man before her she may not be able to stop herself from slitting his throat with a dinner knife.

"I am not sure such a thing may be possible," Alberich said in his most icy voice.

"I am sure the time might be spared for a fellow comrade." Syut pushed, he was not about to let a man below him tell him what he could and could not do.

"In that case, I'm sure we can come to some sort of compromise." Alberich redirected.

Syut smiled slyly at Marie and sneered in Alberich's direction, before turning and exiting with Lord Carthwright.

Once the front door was closed, and the other guests truly gone, Marie looked at her hand as though it were a dead rat and visibly shuddered, wiping the back of her hand on her dress.

Master Hyden and his wife sent the pair apologetic looks,

"We did the best we could with rocks."

Alberich hadn't heard the saying, but he suspected that it was similar to making lemonade out of lemons, when he saw Marie's face break into a grin.

Raising her arm above her head she snapped her fingers once, the sound was sharp and clear in all their ears.

Lady Archer gasped as six bodies, swung and then leapt from the high beams, or crawled down the walls like spiders. Her husband bowed to Marie in a formal manner before escorting his beloved from the room, shutting the doors behind them.

Alberich counted, there were still two missing. He looked to Marie, who calmly strode to the long tapestries that hung on one wall and pushed them aside at the corner near the door. Alberich couldn't believe he had missed the pairs of shoes that were uncovered at the hem of the tapestry.

Behind the wall hanging the entire time were Marie's last two Eyes.

"I noticed their feet when I first entered the room. It is a great ability to hide in plain sight, when you know that there are those who would seek you. We do it well do we not?" she was almost teasing him now.

Alberich looked closely at the pair, and saw two girls, neither could have been older than twelve. They wore the same clothes as their elders, but theirs were the colors of stone and mortar. Both had blond hair that was braided in long braids to their hip, and deep brown eyes.

"Alberich, this is Alia and Honey, twin sisters of the extended Fox Clan." She introduced the smiling pair.

Alberich nodded to them, and their smiles widened.

Turning to the rest of her assembled, Marie bowed deep at the waist while keeping her eyes upon them. When she righted herself, they each in turn returned the gesture.

"Trusted true, this is Herald Alberich. Alberich, my most trusted allies."

One by one each Eye turned to him and extended their name,

"Bryn Crow Rethwellan,"

"Vorn Crow Valdemar

"Aaron Wanderer Valdemar"

"Ragnon Wanderer Hardorn"

"Jacob Wanderer Karse"

"Honey Fox Runner"

"Alia Fox Runner"

"Jesten Wolf Old Jkatha"

"Hadley Torn Oris territory"

"Jemia Wolf, is in Karse and could not be spared for this meeting. Forest was killed along the border of Karse and Rethwellan, hence he will not be joining us. Now what have you to tell me that I do not already know?" Marie said quietly.

"First Lady, why is a Herald here?"

Jesten spoke but it was Aaron who answered.

"He is more than a Herald. He is the lost lord."

Alberich looked to Marie with interest, in the back of his mind he recalled the conversation he had shared with Talamir and Aaron regarding the fox carving he carried with him at all times. Reaching into his breast pocket, he tensed as five hands went for their hidden swords. Gently he raised his other hand in supplication and withdrew the pristine carving and laid it on the table.

The five hands dropped to their sides. It seemed as though time had stilled for nothing moved, nor made sound. For a breathless moment, all was quiet.

Marie was oblivious to her spies who were all looking at her and Alberich with both shock and respect. Her own eyes were only on the carving Alberich had put on the wood surface in front of her. There it was, a child's hope and dream of knowing something beautiful. It was real, it was here in Alberich, and it was alive. How odd it seemed to her suddenly that she had needed to see the small seemingly insignificant object in perfect condition lovingly polished and cared for before she could believe that her dream hadn't been wasted.

In her mind she heard Orestes voice clearly and simply say,

_It is time he knew._

_A/N: As you can see there are many pieces of this plot that are entwined with several characters. I intend to finish this story, though that is a ways off. I apologize profusely for the long delay, but some chapters are infinitely easier to write than others, and this one was not simple. Thanks to my beta readers and to those of you who continue to follow this tale, I appreciate the feedback._


	17. Chapter 17

Unknown Wars Chapter 17: Unity of Command

Bryn Crow felt all the air go out of her lungs when her eyes fell upon the small crystal carving. Her mind was in a whirl as memories of her childhood surfaced.

She was five and her mother had come to her in the caves holding a cloth wrapped package. Bryn had known what was in it. Every child was given a token on their fifth birthday. It was a sign of love for the growing generation from their community. She opened the bundle and felt the cold hard weight of the carved crystal crow in her hand.

Her mother had been a fox, but her token would be a reminder of her father. Her mother had called him 'her dark feathered crow' for his black hair. He had died when Bryn was still a little child carried around on her mother's back. He had been a messenger for the White Crows Clan, and had died in battle. It was with this story of her father that Bryn had always wanted to be a runner for her clan.

She had waited longer to marry than others in her clan, but she had never felt anything for her extended fox-clan brothers other than trust and friendship. Jesten was from the neighboring Wolf clan, and they had met as messengers. Their connection was instantaneous, and it was hard for Bryn to explain it, even now, to her brother Vorn.

In the beginning she hadn't understood why Marie would have spared the life of their most hated enemy, she had asked her childhood friend, once, why she had done it?

"It is not my duty to end his life, but to ensure it." Marie had said.

The answer had made Bryn angry and resentful. Many had died in the battle, and the General's daughter had failed to kill one she had beaten, how many had died because of that choice? Marie had always been strange, but Bryn had always thought that if her father had lived to be the General, and her mother lost to the stars, that maybe she would have grown up a bit odd too.

Marie had always been quiet, watching the little nuances of people, and she had always kept her council small and discreet. Even as a child many of the women didn't know how to relate to her, for she often seemed to be in a world they didn't understand. In retrospect Bryn thought that no one should have been surprised when she had spared the soldier's life.

Her father, who should have been the first to support her exile and subsequent execution, had been the first to stall the killing blade.

Maybe he truly knew something we didn't?

Did he know this Karsian? And if not, did he know something of the future? Did he know that soldier would become a champion of his country's enemy?

She turned her head ever so slightly to the left and locked eyes with her husband, who stood just behind Vorn.

He and Bryn had been married for five years, and each carried the other's token against their hearts every day of their lives. Duty often kept them apart, but they knew that no matter what happened their token was a physical reminder of the love in their beloved's heart.

Jesten hadn't known Bryn or Marie when they were small, but he had heard the tales of the Lost Lord when the union of clans had become official again. There were very few, mostly children, who didn't know of the legendary Lady General and the day she had saved the enemy.

Suddenly the room felt very small, when Jesten realized that the Herald before them was the life she had spared. It had been years since that day on the battlefield! Over a decade had separated the two of them from even knowing if the other was alive, yet this dark man with the hawk-like eyes had kept his token for that long? Respect for the mysterious Herald began to grow in Jesten Wolf.

Vorn was watching his sister very carefully.

Bryn and Marie had been raised together, and had been very close, until the truth about the Karsian soldier had come to light. She had shunned Marie for years after the oaths of secrecy had been sworn. Even after Marie had made her an Eye, there had always been a look of caution when Bryn addressed Marie.

However now, when the object of that distain was in front of her eyes, and a mere swords length from her reach the look in his sister's eyes was very different, almost sympathetic.

Vorn felt his insides grow cold for a short moment when his gaze found Aaron. The stare his friend was giving Alberich was icy, and held a solid edge of jealousy. Vorn knew that Aaron had once thought of Marie with a lover's intentions, but Vorn had been sure that he had given up of those aspirations years ago. The look he was interpreting in the younger man's face told him otherwise, and it spelled danger for all of them if Aaron couldn't keep it in check.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Jesten behind him but didn't startle when the other man whispered.

"That is the soldier she saved in the tale?"

Vorn acknowledged the question with a single nod, before he saw Jesten move to Bryn's side. The couple clasped their hands together and continued watching Marie, who seemed frozen in place staring at the tabletop.

_It is time he knew_

Orestes prompted his chosen with a small mental nudge, trying to shake her gently out of her shock.

Marie couldn't tear her eyes away from the token. She wasn't aware of her breathing or those around her, all she could see was the memory of herself as a small girl holding a blood crusted sword point under the chin of the Karsian soldier, who had come to kill, and capture, and destroy. All she could hear was the wind that made the child's hair fly like whips of fire around her head. Caught in her memory, Marie could only stare listlessly into nothing as she remembered relaxing her blade, remembering the confusion on the older boy's face, and taking note that it was a boy she was looking at, not a man.

She had indicated with her sword that he was to walk ahead of her, he had followed her instruction and they had slipped away from the battlefield. She had pulled him over the side of the cliff and shown him where to put his feet. She had led him to a path that would take him around the ongoing battle and safely back to his camp. There had been little exchange of words between them.

"_Why have you not killed me?"_

"_It is not my duty to kill you."_

"_How do you know this?"_

"_Some things have been made known to me, you may understand this in time."_

"_You should not spare me."_

"_You gave me a dream, if I free you, then my dream can be real and live for as long as you do."_

As though by some mystical connection, Alberich was remembering those same words as though they had been spoken a day ago. His eyes danced between the token and Marie's face as if waiting for some flicker of recognition that his suspicions were true.

He had shown her what life outside of the desert could be.

Life could be more than weapons, and war, and starvation, and mere survival.

Life could be about community, and joy, family, faith and the future.

She had never had that before she had been captured. She had already told him that she had wanted to stay in his world, but that she had returned for duty.

Duty was something Alberich knew a world's length about. Duty could be a twisted and cruel entity.

Alberich had given most of his life to duty, and country and throne. He had sacrificed family, friends and love for something larger than himself. Before becoming a Herald he had done so for honor, now he did it for honor and love of his new home, for their principals, for what they could give him in return.

A family.

Marie had sacrificed everything for her family, which had been hunted long before she was ever born. He understood what that had done to her.

She had believed that she couldn't have anything beautiful except in dreams.

"_You gave me a dream, if I free you, then my dream can be real and live for as long as you do."_

Alberich shook himself out of his awe for the woman but a breath away from him, and stepped forward wrapping his strong arms around Marie's slightly trembling form.

Marie wasn't aware that she was shaking until Alberich's embrace soothed her. Her back was enveloped in the warmth of his chest, and his arms wound around her middle like vines. She felt his head nuzzle her left temple and her heart swelled at the feeling of his hot breath across her shoulder.

In a soft rumbling, Alberich leaned into her ear and whispered,

"It can be more than dreams."

Everything changed in a single instant.

Marie felt the ropes that kept her emotions at bay snap. She felt as though one thousand arrows had been loosed within her as she felt her happiness grow into an overwhelming jubilation. She felt the hot tears fill her eyes and spill over her cheeks, and she couldn't keep the smile from stretching her face.

Alberich felt her shake within his grasp, and turned her to him, trying to find the cause of her distress. Her face was flushed and she was crying. He put a cupped hand under her chin and raised her eyes to his, and only then did he see the truth of her joy in her heart. Her smile was radiant through her tears, and she looked happier in that moment than he had ever seen her.

Marie looked at Alberich, taking in his face and the hairline scars that rested above his temple and just to the right side of his jaw.

He was not pristine.

He was not perfect.

He was battle worn, strong, and watchful, like her.

They could understand in each other what the rest of world would never comprehend.

Alberich grew tense as she turned her gaze to the details in his face; he had never let anyone get this close to him before. He felt his chest tighten some when she leaned into him further. Her mouth was so close to his; he could feel a knot grow in his stomach as he stared at the small pink swell of flesh that he longed to touch.

In the back of his mind, he could feel Kantor ready to kick him into action, and he captured Marie in a searing, possessive kiss before his companion could ruin the moment for him by commenting.

Marie felt her insides flutter all the way to her toes and then shoot fire up her spine and into her veins, when Alberich's mouth claimed hers. The years of loneliness and sacrifice, the long stretched hope for reunion that had turned into distant memories was over. He was here, accepting her pledge, and she was all too happy to accept his.

For Alberich the kiss erased months of tension and caution and fear and secrecy. Fear that she wouldn't want him after all, that a younger Herald would have captured her attention. Caution for the boundaries he had drawn between them, they had melted away to reveal everything that was important.

They loved each other, and they belonged together, for always.

Alberich ended the kiss and rested his head on his love's shoulder, sighing a kind of relief he hadn't allowed himself to acknowledge in years. Marie had ceased crying and had snuggled into the crook of his neck breathing his scent deeply. Alberich opened his eyes and cleared his throat when he saw the ensemble still staring at them. Never one for attention he glared slightly at the amused expression Vorn was wearing at his discomfort. A small nuzzle to the edge of Marie's head, and her face swiveled around to address her Eyes once more.

On their faces she recognized confusion and wonderment. Sighing resignedly she faced them fully and stepped slightly away from Alberich, who strode forward with her to greet her spies.

"This is Alberich, my Lord, my Love, my Mate."

Alberich in that instant felt pride fill him, when she acknowledged to a room full of her own people what he meant to her. If he had been any other man he would have shown his happiness in an obvious way, on display for all to see. He was not like other men, and so his eyes were the only part of him that danced at her words.

The assembled Eyes observed the dark man standing next to their Lady General, with new understanding.

His stance was supportive and commanding of attention, while not intimidating or threatening. His hands were clasped behind his back and his right side was turned slightly towards Marie, which meant that he was capable of following her lead if necessary.

Honey and Alia who had been standing on the outside of the group were the first to approach the pair. In a formal manner they bent low from their hips and crossed their right arms across their chests in a simultaneous sweep their heads up, and eyes never leaving the Herald's face.

Around them the other spies broke from whatever trance had held them at bay for so long and stepped forward to extend the same gesture, all but three.

Bryn and Jesten had not moved from where they were standing, and while Jesten was looking urgently at his wife, Bryn's eyes could not be detered from Alberich's face. Aaron was watching Bryn's body for any hint of movement and so had not left his position behind her right flank.

Marie took Alberich's hand in hers and past her other spies, who in turn stood behind the two imposing leaders to support whatever confrontation was about to take place. On her way past the table her hand snatched the fox carving from the table and handed it back to Alberich who returned it immediately to his breast pocket.

As Marie and Alberich advanced, with their hands in plain view, Bryn's body went stiff but she did not try to go for her sword. Marie stopped walking and stepped in front of Alberich forcing Bryn's attention to break and look at her Lady General. The gaze that met Marie was staggering. The old resentment was still there, but it didn't seem to be aimed at her. Marie lifted her chin never breaking eye contact with her old friend. Silence reigned between them until Bryn dropped her husband's hand and took a step towards Marie so that they were within three paces of each other.

"My Lady General, I have always held suspicion for your actions as a child, but I have never once doubted your actions or decisions as our leader. From everything I know about Heralds, they are chosen for their principals, and honor and faith in the human spirit. This man, who was once an enemy on the battlefield, is your mate and a Herald. I will trust him as I trust you because he is your choice, but also because he was the choice of a Companion."

Turning towards Alberich again, she added,

"Lord Herald Alberich, you are welcomed to our family."

Only then did she bow to them, in the respect of her kin.

Jesten exhaled a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Part of him was sure that Bryn might have lashed out in some way against the Herald, he was never so happy to be wrong. Aaron and Jesten stepped forward after Bryn had walked to the other side of their leaders and also made their pledge.

Turning to her friends and allies, Marie gestured towards the chairs. Once each of them was seated, all formality dropped suddenly and it was as though they were at any meal in Collegium.

Sensing his confusion Marie leaned in and said,

"You have been officially welcomed to the family, now there is no need for pretense or posture, you are one of us now." she smiled at him encouragingly, before turning back to the others.

"My friends, we have but a few hours before dawn shall we begin?"

"My Lady, how did you come to be here?"

Alberich turned his head toward the elderly man Ragnon briefly before realizing that the question he had asked had never been asked before.

"Before I give you the details, you should know that the assault on our homeland has finished. The losses were very great. In the end the elder warriors gave us the time we needed to escape." she said in a grave tone.

"How many came from Karse?" Hadley queried.

"Two thousand." Marie whispered.

Gasps were heard from some of the group, mostly from those whom had been further away from the border, the others just nodded as this had been expected for some time.

"How many escaped?" Hadley continued.

"Just under one hundred. We split into two groups, those not of the twenty two that came with me went with the Wolf Runners heading for Rethwellan.

"Yes a large band of fifty nomads walked the trade route and entered Rethwellan just after the second month of snow. From what they had to say they weren't followed by the troops that exiled them." Bryn clarified from her seat in the corner.

Marie nodded, her eyes hooded and her heart relieved that some of her people had made it to their destination unscathed. She took a deep breath before continuing her tale.

"They were lucky, the troops followed my path instead."

"They knew who you were then?" Ragnon asked.

"Yes, they came there on a mission of eradication. There is no other reason to send two thousand men unless they meant to wipe us out. I took twenty two with me as I said, but really I think they followed me because we were the easiest to find. Nothing says target like a big white horse."

Laughter erupted from her Eyes, and even Alberich was prepared to deal with Kantor's indignation to chuckle at that himself. Orestes knew the truth of it and decided not to comment at the time.

"You got to Valdemar safely then?" Jesten assumed.

Marie could only shake her head.

Alberich looked across the table at Aaron, who was giving Marie a pleading look. He moved his hand to hers and was worried further when she took it with a fierce hold that made her knuckles white.

"We made it to the grasslands on the border of Karse and Jkatha, that was when they caught up with us. It had started to snow five or six days into our journey, and going was slow with so many children. I broke up the group into two smaller groups, Bridget took the ten smallest children with Ana and her husband. I told them to head into Jkatha and find somewhere to stay until the snow had melted. A source here in Valdemar confirmed that they arrived safe. I took the other nine to race for the border of Valdemar. Orestes and I made a system of it for a while. He would carry people ahead to a safe location and I would walk with the group as their guard, between trips. There were two nights when all we could do was dig a hole and huddle together."

Marie sighed.

"Within four days run of the border, and by border Alberich I mean the beginning of the no man's land between the two outposts."

Alberich nodded, the no-mans land was an additional three hours on a companions back. This area was created as a buffer zone between the border outpost keep and Karse's fortification towers on either side of the main highway, connecting the two countries.

"That's where we ran out of luck. A band of several hundred troops had followed us all the way north to the border, there was nothing more to do but run, and fight." she said the last two words under her breath, but they could still hear her.

"How many survived?"Alia asked, her face ashen.

"All nine made it across the border, but the border healers reported three died of their injuries a few days later." Alberich answered, "Marie arrived in Haven straight from that border skirmish."

Several heads swiveled to Aaron, who nodded.

Alberich wondered if she had even discussed that fight on the border with anyone, or if in the light of all else that had come up upon her arrival, had it been forgotten?

"Love, what happened?"

"What usually happen in war. Except they had one thing against them...they couldn't kill me." Marie laughed dryly as she said this.

No one asked the question, but Jacob Wanderer answered it.

"The bounty on her head is very specific, she has to be alive."

"Why?" Bryn and Aaron said at once.

"Heh, if I'm dead, they can't find out anything I know, now can they?" Marie snorted.

"In the events of the past winter, they may decide to change their opinion on that front." Ragnon suggested.

"Oh I'm fairly certain of it, but it's a loophole we may still be able to exploit." Marie conceded.

"Karse has been very quiet as of late, which always makes Jemiah and I wonder-"

"What they're plotting?" Bryn finished.

Jacob nodded mutely.

"What do those in Karse know for certain?" Aaron asked.

"They are aware that you are here, they are aware you were chosen." Jacob said turning to Marie.

"That isn't good, but we will handle it." Vorn supplied.

"They have not disclosed to the general population your description, as no one is entirely sure what you look like when you're not covered in blood. Plus none of them have ever seen you off the battlefield."

"That isn't exactly true. The Karsian Emissary he's seen me before, in Kabina Zoufaly." Marie offered reluctantly.

"He clearly doesn't recognize you, and that will be our best advantage." Alberich countered.

"Is there any other news?"

No one spoke.

"Then there is a matter we need to discuss. The Alliance of the clans was born to protect our home and each other from a common enemy. That home is no longer ours, we are in exile. Strange to be in exile of the place the exiled go? Our numbers are radically deflated, and our families are split between three countries. Those who survived at the border, and those who went to Jkatha are in route to Haven. They have been given refuge and citizenship in Valdemar, and are officially under the protection of Queen Selenay and her Heralds. I have been Chosen to become a Herald. The Queen and I have an understanding, that no matter what, I made oaths to my family. Their safety is still my most important role, and being a Herald is secondary. They are allowing this, because we are two people with much in common.

"This circumstance is not regular to a Herald's path, but it was not rejected either. As long as I breathe I plan to do my duty to our family, whether they reside here in Valdemar, or in the neighboring kingdoms of Rethwellan and Karse. The real question is, do you still wish to call me Lady General? Do you wish to stay in the roles decided when we had a home? Or do you wish to form new alliances?"

As she spoke Marie met each face with confidence, she would respect her family's decisions, even if that meant a break in ties. Their lives were their own, and new opportunities were here for the taking, she could deny them nothing.

Ragnon spoke first,

"What do you plan to do My Lady?"

"I would have some of you return to your posts, and some of you relocate. There is an opportunity here with the Heralds to increase our communications between posts. I would train Heralds to be Runners, and Eyes for Valdemar. We are all aware that a power play is changing the way Karse will be ruled, but that cannot happen on its own, and it means a joined front. Before I say anything further, I must know of your choices." she said authoritatively.

Ragnon stood,

"My Lady, I take great pride in calling you that. I knew your father since we were boys in Karse, and I followed him to his end, and then you. I have given my life to protect Ivorn Fox's family, particularly you, his youngest child. While you will always be the greatest General I have ever had the honor of serving, I must take my leave of these endeavors. I am too old to play these games any longer."

Marie felt her chest tighten. Ragnon had been with her for her entire life, and while he was an elderly man even by clan standards she hadn't expected him to give up his post. She schooled her face into a passive expression, and answered calmly,

"If that is your wish, it is granted. You are relieved. May I ask where you will go now?"

"I would ask to stay here in Valdemar, if for nothing else than to see you married."

Marie stood and crossed the short distance to Ragnon. She hugged him close to her for a brief moment. He took off his shoulder sling and withdrew several small hand bound books and his own small sickle blades. He put these items on the table and then picked up his long walking staff and his harp from the corner before slowly shuffling out a side door that would lead him back to the alley.

Marie waited until she could hear his footfalls echoing on the cobblestones outside.

She walked back to her chair beside Alberich, and sat languidly facing the others.

Aaron sat with an arrested look on his face. He hadn't been expecting his grandfather to retire his duty, and sat in a fog of silence while his fellows gave their decisions around him.

Hadley had opted to leave his service in Valdemar, and find the survivors in Rehtwellan. His decision was expected as his token lover was living there already.

In light of this news Bryn asked to be reassigned to Old Jkatha where she could live with Jesten. Marie happily acquiesced.

Jacob Wanderer would return to Karse and join Jemiah to strengthen the liaisons they were forming there.

Vorn and Aaron would stay in Valdemar at the ready service of their Lady General.

Honey and Alia had no other family to speak of now, and sternly accepted Marie's offer to stay in her service.

"You are our Lady General, we will follow you wherever you need us." Alia had said, which had been met with agreement from her remaining family.

Goodbyes and formal dismissals were issued and in mere moments, Marie and Alberich were left alone in the dining hall.

"You will teach the students to move like that?"

"The youngest trainees are more equipped to harness the right skills, being more flexible, but yes that is the goal. I respect your teachings and they are quite invaluable, but for some missions it might benefit a Herald to be able to disappear in plain sight, would it not?" she admitted.

Marie went to the table and gathered the books Ragnon had left, and she handed the sickle blades to Alberich. The pair of them walked into the entrance way, and took their cloaks from a standing wooden post that had elegant arms protruding from the top. The serving girl had fallen asleep on the step of the stair. She didn't even stir when the main entrance door creaked open.

Outside in the cool night air, the street was entirely empty. Around them neighboring houses were full of merriment and music and a dull hum of jovial voices. If anyone had been looking out a window they would have seen two ordinary lovers on a midsummer's night stroll. They were walking close together, side by side down the empty streets.

However for all their outward appearances of familiarity and comfort, Marie and Alberich could not have been more alert. They were listening carefully to the smallest of sounds around them, and carefully watching the shadows for any unexpected movements.

This continued until they were both standing in front of the doors to the Salle.

Suddenly Marie was shy again, as if the assurance and passion they had shared earlier that evening had never happened.

"You needn't worry, I will not change my mind." Alberich said quietly.

Marie nodded. Looking up at him in the dim light provided beyond the glass window in the Salle, she raised her head to Alberich and kissed him once more before stepping away from him, once again unsure how to proceed. Alberich opened the door to his rooms which were attached to the training Salle. Marie walked through to his sitting room before he spoke again.

"You are sure? We do not have to do this now?"

"I don't want to do anything, today has been so much already, I just want to be near you." she said her blush filling her face.

"Let us sleep then.

The last feast of Midsummer had ended an hour ago and Selenay wondered why her cobblers couldn't make a shoe that was both stylish and comfortable to wear. The queen had spent too many hours in the latest pair, and had contemplated throwing them out the window while she massaged the blood back into her feet.

Out her parlor window she could see the bonfires of the Circle, and wondered if she could secret herself away to one of them. Even though her bed was calling her, she missed the freedom she had enjoyed as a youth. She wasn't yet old by any standard, but she was caught in the constant web of responsibility that often left little or no room for social adventures with the other Heralds.

A knock at her outer chambers brought her head out of her private reverie. Elcarth was announced, and Selenay chuckled.

At least I'm not the only one stuck up here in the Palace.

"Well Elcarth, what have you to tell me so late? Has one of the court tripped over their hideous gowns on the way down the stairs?" she joked.

Elcarth's face split into a wide grin as he chuckled.

The seasonal balls held by the court, were often a stage for some of the worst fashions in Valdemar. Just because the courtiers had wealth, didn't mean that they all had taste.

"Madam Brury's was especially awful this year. I do have to wonder if, in her golden years, her children will have the courage to inform her of her dress sense, or lack there of?"

"It may not take that long, wait for her daughters to turn thirteen. Nothing is more embarrassing to a young girl than a mother who looks like she's wearing a circus tent."

Selenay tittered.

The two snorted with merry laughter for a few moments, before Selenay turned her tired mind back to the business that brought the Dean of Students to her at such a late hour.

"Cymry's chosen."

"Really? Well that's good, I suppose, but why is it news before bed?"

"She's chosen a thief."

Selenay's golden eyebrows lifted at that. A thief? Well it wasn't the record breaker for odd choices by a companion, but it certainly was different.

"Hm. Is he here now?"

"No Majesty, Cymry took him on a ride, he'll be here in the morning."

"I suggest learning as much about him as possible, Companions are not wrong about who they chose. Make sure Teren is there with you when you greet him."

"I was thinking about Herald Kyril and possibly Alberich."

"Good idea, but I wonder about Kyril's presence putting him at ease. If he's a thief he will know who and what Kyril is."

Elcarth nodded knowingly,

"That is the point. Showing authority but not enacting it should show him that we can be reasonable about his state of affairs, whatever that proves to be."

"Do what you think is best, Elcarth."

"You look tired."

"I feel tired, like there's always something more I need to do lately."

"In that mind, I shall leave you to get some much needed rest. Good Night Majesty."

Selenay nodded her thanks, and sat at her desk writing a message for her page to take in the morning.

A thief? Heralds had been chosen from all walks of life. Selenay thought briefly about the tales of Lavan Firestorm, a murderer in self-defense, and more recently Marie Fox, although no one was sure if she had been an assassin or a spy? Selenay expected that both had been necessary for her at one time or another.

The Queen looked at the color of the sky and wondered if Marie would be back by now or not? She had been gone since almost midday, and while she usually sent word when she returned from ventures like this, there had been no note delivered nor waiting for Selenay when she returned from the feast. Much in that woman's life was unpredictable. Selenay found her bed, praying that more answers would greet her morning than questions.

Elcarth had hoped it would be a few more years before he saw that weary look in his young queen's eyes. The assassination attempt on her by her husband had been the last blow to her girlhood innocence, but Selenay was still a young woman and there had been time to heal that old hurt.

Elcarth found his way to Talamir's office, and was unsurprised to see the old man still at his desk, writing.

"You and I are the only ones who would still be working at this hour."

"Not so, Myste is still at her window too." Talamir said lifting his quill and pointing in the direction of his window.

Elcarth walked behind the older Herald and through the casement saw that yes, Herald Myste could be seen bent over her desk which was covered in papers and writing furiously at her own window across the courtyard. Elcarth was about to move away from the window when a bit of light from the open Salle door revealed the weapons master admitting a female shape into his home.

Talamir had looked up when Elcarth didn't move away from the window right away. He followed his friend's gaze and caught the unmistakable glint of Marie's red hair shine in the light of the Salle. He was more than amused by the tight expression on the Dean's face.

"It's about time, if those two had waited any longer my grand daughter would be having kittens."

Elcarth couldn't help the smile that crossed his features at the image that created in his head.

"Well now, what brings you to my door at a few hours before dawn?"

"As always, there's too much going on in my brain to sleep. Why are you still up?"

Talamir's face grew very still, but gave no outward indication to the Dean of any of his mental worries.

"I have much I still need to do."

"Perhaps. What did the healers have to say?"

"What else but I'm just getting old."

"Ha! You've been old for years."

"But I'm still dancing"

Elcarth observed his mentor, and long time friend. The old man had not been the man he fondly remembered in a long time, and lately had been complaining about shortness of breath. Maybe his time was simply coming to a close? If that was true he wondered for a moment about what the new Monarch's own would face in their first years of training? Talamir had seen so much in his years, Elcarth silently sent a prayer that whatever end found his friend that it be merciful and painless.

They talked about various things until Talamir fell asleep in his chair. Elcarth roused him enough to order the man into his bed, before seeking his own. A quick glance at the sky proved that Elcarth could get at least three hours of rest before he would need to rouse Kyril and Teren to intercept the new Chosen. He still couldn't believe that Cymry had Chosen a thief?

After a moments hesitation, he decided that a page could be sent to get Alberich in the morning.

A/N: There is very little I can say about the almost year long wait for this chapter update, but I never abandoned the story. Life is full of rocks, and some of them hit especially hard this last year. I promised I would continue this story until it's done, and we're still a ways off from there. Your reviews are always welcome.


	18. Chapter 18

Unknown Wars Chapter 18: The Voice of a Wry Wind

The Midsummer holiday closed with the usual precession of students returning from farms and country estates, all wishing for just one more day with family and carefree fancy.

The summer weather was still unaccustomedly hot and muggy, so every class that could was taking their lessons outside. Some on the lawn of the palace, and some under the shade of the trees that lined Companion's field. The only exceptions were Courtly Graces which required the dance hall and various bits of furniture that couldn't leave the classroom, and Cartography, as Herald Rashe would rather be miserable then risk any dirt on his precious maps.

In the second week of resumed classes, Marie received a summons to Elcarth's Office just after breakfast.

She knocked on the door, heard the Dean's jovial hail to enter, and came face to face with Herald Kyril and Herald Talamir. She was surprised and instantly wondered if there was something wrong, but couldn't sense anything of the sort.

Kyril's expression was contemplative, but as relaxed as she had ever seen him be.

"Please sit."

Elcarth gestured towards one of his few empty chairs sandwiched between Herald Talamir and the only wall with a window.

Elcarth's office was one of the largest afforded to the senior Heralds, but you'd never guess it with every surface, including the floor, playing host to numerous stacks of paperwork. Marie ducked her head to hide a smile at the seemingly simple idea of sitting among the forest of books, ledgers and miscellaneous documents that threatened to topple at the smallest nudge, or a careless breath in their direction.

She sat as gracefully as could be managed and waited for one of the other Heralds to speak.

"We have been discussing your progress." Kyril began.

"We believe that you have already mastered many of the attributes and lessons that we require of our trainees. However we do not feel that this is the most appropriate time to begin your internship." Talamir continued.

"It is custom that new Heralds ride circuit to familiarize themselves with the troubles of the kingdom firsthand."

Marie nodded her understanding, after all, this had been the first topic of conversation during her orientation. She was slightly confused, if she wasn't being sent on a traditional assignment, what could they have in mind for her?

Talamir seemed to sense her curiosity and decided to be practical in the delivery.

"We all agree, as do all of your instructors, that you should be given full status as Herald. You came to us with an entire battle-born history, and leadership skills the likes of which are sometimes better suited to the militia. However your experiences have also taught you determination, patience, and the ability to think creatively in a bind."

"For these reasons, rather than delay the traditional internship until sometime next year we are going to employ a precedent that in the past has only been used for dire circumstances. Your internship will be a little different from the regular circuit post. You will serve the eighteen months here, under supervision from two senior Heralds, and the Dean. In short, we desire that you take on a teaching position here in the Collegium."

Marie's face relaxed considerably, although she knew there had to be more to it than that?

"What would you prefer I teach?"

She said casting one raised eyebrow in the Dean's direction.

Elcarth smiled.

"We have been informed by various sources that you already hold early morning instruction for trainees wishing to-ah increase their flexibility and stamina."

This last portion was said through a rather obvious smile and a considerable amount of amusement coming from the smaller man. It had taken him no small amount of effort on his part to find out the exact reason why so many new trainee uniforms were being requisitioned by the housekeeper Gaytha. Not one of the teachers could account for it, and there had been no obvious increase in games or sport in recent months either.

In the end pure luck had intervened on behalf of the absolutely confounded Herald Elcarth. He had been looking up something obscure in the library, when two much younger students were groaning to each other in a forgotten corner of the room.

"I think we've met the weapon-master's match."

Intrigued with such a statement, Elcarth; a man who prided himself on respecting the privacy of other's, couldn't help himself from indulging in a little harmless curiosity.

"No kidding, I'll never look at bucket races the same way again."

Bucket races? The Dean was more than interested now.

"You have to admit that it works though, we couldn't carry the smaller buckets a couple weeks ago, and now even Alberich has noticed how much faster we are in practice."

"Guess so, but it isn't fair, everyone should have to do this."

" Come on, you knew what you signed on for, and isn't she always saying that 'to quit in adversary is human, to stand your ground is heroic'? She never said we had to keep coming, and this way you get to spend more time with Becca."

"Oh shush up! No, I just wondered why we only get these lessons in our club, but not in regular classes?"

"Maybe the teacher-Heralds don't know about it?" one child speculated.

"Possible but it's not exactly a secret that we get up earlier and go out to Companion's field in the morning, loads of servants see us everyday."

That was when the Dean nearly laughed and gave himself away, he had been so preoccupied with the mystery presented by the students, that he hadn't even thought to ask the servants. Shaking his head he went off in search of Polly, a scullery maid in the lower kitchen.

The young woman was all too happy to tell the Dean, that for some months now, twenty or so students of all three collegiums had been trudging out to the far field at ungodly hours of the morning, and sometimes just after supper, to engage in "some pretty strange games", as she called them. They came back in all states of dress, often covered in dirt and grime, but never unhappy or harmed.

Elcarth had been presently surprised to discover that Marie seemed to enjoy this interaction with the younger students, and that had presented a unique opportunity that he was sure Kyril would be interested in.

Kyril, was a man of practicality and logistics. He saw the necessity of the skills and training that Marie could impart to the rest of the circle, trainee and Herald alike. Now sitting beside this more than capable woman he took back the serious nature of the meeting by saying,

"We would like you to evaluate all the members of the circle, students and full Heralds, to determine which are the best candidates for this 'special instruction'. We are in need of messengers, not unlike your clan runners to facilitate secret matters of state. You are among only a handful of qualified persons able to make that kind of selection, we are here to aid you in whatever you may need."

Marie tilted her head toward Talamir, as if waiting for his leave to be blunt.

The highly perceptive Herald made a small nod in her direction.

"You want me to train Valdemar's next generation of spies."

The statement, although true, seemed to make Kyril start a little but he said nothing. Marie took this moment to be bold in her questions.

"As I understand it, the Queen already has provisions for that kind of training, are you seeking to reorganize the existing training program, or is this venture a separate endeavor?"

"For it to have any sort of real-world success it will have to be both. We are actually asking quite a lot from you. Every Herald, and trainee will have to undergo a little of what we are choosing to call battle-training. Some of this will be split between you and Herald Alberich's weapons practice regime. Other parts of it are already culminated in other academic settings, such as strategy and history classes. However for those who qualify, they will need to undergo special training with you and your secondary instructors whom will be of your choosing."

Marie was quick to ask her final query,

"I take it this special training will not be declared openly outside of the circle?"

Three serious expressions were her answer.

...

Sometime later in the day, Marie was trying to orient herself with the details of being a full Herald, and the heavy logistics that went into a project like this. She had moved from the trainee floor, and from her single room abode into a two room suite on the other side of the Collegium, with the other Heralds. The front room was like a study or parlor, and the back was a very spacious bedroom, with three iron casement windows that overlooked the grassy knoll and further out she could see the old temple ruins.

The front room held a sofa and a sideboard sitting on a low cabinet on one far wall. There was also a fireplace and a small table to keep her tea things on. Across from the fireplace was a large bi-fold window that opened, under the window Marie had pushed her work desk so that she could see outside while she worked. Her new chair was high backed with a padded seat, much more comfortable than the standard, wood, study chair in her old room.

Early in the afternoon a handful of blue clad pages had arrived from the Dean's office with a ledger of the Trainees and Heralds. Another had brought her a series of notebooks, and several reams of paper and writing instruments for her use. Now her desk was completely covered in documents and notes as she tried to come up with suitable choices for her secondary instructors.

Draped carefully over a spare chair, in a corner that she could ignore if she tried harder, was her newly made Herald's uniform.

Part of her didn't want to put it on until someone else, who hadn't been in that office this morning, confirmed it to be real.

Her silent prayer was answered when her door was almost destroyed by Keren and Ylsa who came bursting inside like a couple of exuberant blue jays, who exclaimed almost over each other's voice,

"I knew you'd break Elcarth's record!"

"You did it youngling, you've joined our ranks as a walking target."

Marie threw back her head and laughed loudly at their antics.

"Why are you still wearing your trainee greys?"

"Not everyone is as ready to preen in front of the circle as some..." Ylsa teased.

"I don't know really, I'm excited to have them, but somehow..." she trailed off then.

"Maybe it's because you think that putting them on means giving up something of your other duties?" Ylsa tried.

"Maybe, even though officially those duties are no longer as split as they once were." Marie said wistfully.

"Here, you may feel better once you've got them on, you're expected at dinner you know."

"Oh?"

"Yes, everyone wants to congratulate you."

Marie sighed, admitting that she'd put the task off for long enough and took the outfit from the chair and walked behind her dressing screen to done the soft doeskin and linen ensemble.

"Do you know about your internship yet?"

"Y-yes and no." Marie hedged.

"Sounds like Elcarth and Kyril have already broached that subject then?" Karen supplied.

Marie stuck her head out from behind the screen to stare at Keren's mischievous grin.

"Don't tease lover, Marie we both teach subjects that overlay with the current training framework. Keren teaches riding, and I with gifts. All the teachers within the Herald-circle were given a rundown of what you'll be doing. I'm impressed that Talamir agreed to such a thing really."

Marie cocked her head thoughtfully, although neither of the Heralds could see her. She hadn't known whose idea it had been, and frankly she had suspected Kyril as the originator, but she was pleasantly surprised that Talamir had the faith in her necessary to complete the task.

"Grandsir knows a good opportunity when he sees it." Keren affirmed.

Marie couldn't argue with that. In all her dealings with the elderly Monarch's Own, he may have seemed a little ethereal and distant at times as though he were lost in a dream, but he still had a brain for strategy and planning.

Moments later she stepped out from behind the screen and took in the smiling and approving faces of her friends.

Suddenly she thought of something.

"How long until dinner?"

Ylsa smiled a knowing smile before replying,

"Long enough for you to go see him."

A radiant smile that reached her eyes blossomed on Marie's face, and she quickly hugged her friends before slipping out her door and making her way

towards the weapon-master's Salle.

Outside the Salle a few students lingered with their friends, groaning and commiserating over bruises and aches. None of them paid any mind to her as she slipped in the back door and watched from an unsuspecting corner as Alberich tidied his domain.

Only when the last students were gone did he turn his attention to the woman he had heard enter. She was smiling with a rare kind of confidence as she crossed the packed earth floor to the spot directly before him.

He noted the brilliant contrast her hair made against the pristine white of the Herald's uniform. It was like warm fire amid snowdrops. He caught a stray tendril of her hair and tucked it behind her ear, before leaning in to kiss her temple.

"How do you feel?"

"Like an obvious target" she said with a slight roll of her eyes.

"Yes, I thought you might. Selenay thought you might appreciate a uniform cut like mine, and I have it here for you so you do not feel so inconspicuous. When you are called for official duties the white cannot be avoided, but when you are teaching and the like, this one will do just fine."

The uniform in question which Alberich presented from a worn leather satchel, was like his own charcoal and ashen grey leathers, except that the dyes looked imperfect and a few wisps of russet brown could be identified along some of the otherwise flawless seams. Anyone else would have objected the flaws, but to Marie they seemed perfect.

She turned kind eyes to her love, as he returned the dark set to the bag, and handed it to her.

"And now I believe we should to dinner."

...

Dinner was no more or less exciting than any other time, but Marie's year mates were all clambering to inquire about her teaching post.

"You may learn to detest my class as you do weapons training by the end of my time as an instructor," she hedged.

"Only if you're really good at what you do,"

Jeri was teasing, but the truth was simple. In the grand tradition inherent in the teaching staff of collegium, the most qualified instructors, were also the hardest and appropriately so. Their subjects held more importance and overall responsibility for their students to master.

If she didn't teach them well enough, or if she wasn't as hard as she needed to be, their lives could depend on that mistake.

Marie hid her momentary insecurities in a few large mouthfuls of food.

Later when most of the initial fervor had died down and it was just she and Jeri lingering over berry cobbler, her friend asked the most important questions.

"Now that you've earned, quite justly in my opinion, your whites how does this change the relationship with Master Alberich?"

Marie cocked her head in thought as she examined the situation under this new circumstance.

"I'm not sure it does, not really. We have our understanding and that's all."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we know how the other feels and that's all that matters right now. I still have this curriculum to iron out, and the issues across the border to keep an eye on. Until then we are choosing to keep our relationship quiet, and I ask that you respect that."

"I'd never sell you out, you know that. It's hard keeping the secret I admit, but if it makes you happy then that's all there is to it. But, promise me one thing as a best friend?"

Marie raised her eyebrow at the mischievous glint in her friend's eye.

"I figure by the time it's ok to say anything I'll be bursting at the seems, so I reserve the right to be the first to announce your engagement."

"Now hold on Jeri, we don't even know if that's in the cards."

"I know, but if that becomes the case I wanna be the one to out you, but only to the inner circle of course,"

This last part was added in reaction to the slightly alarmed look on Marie's face, who immediately relaxed upon clarification.

Marie would have said more but she felt a nearly silent presence beside her that she didn't recognize. In a fluid movement she both fully rotated her position on the bench and caught the wrist of a young boy about thirteen or fourteen trying to relieve her of her hip pouch.

Marie's expression hardened as she scrutinized the child in front of her. His body although muscular was lean in a way that spoke of past malnutrition and perhaps starvation. He had gotten fairly close to her before she noticed him, that was something very few could do. She was instantly relaxed by the trainee grey outfit the boy was wearing, and though she didn't let it show in her face, she suspected that the attempted lift was for fun more than malice.

The boy in question wore a look of utter amazement, that quickly froze on his face in a look of slight hesitation and worry. He had meant to play a harmless prank on the unknown Herald, however the expression she wore was far from harmless.

Jeri could see how the situation was about to end; with her new classmate either upended over the dinner table or before the Dean, and quickly intervened.

"Marie, it's ok, this is Skif the newest chosen of Cymry."

Marie immediately softened her features and offered the younger boy a quirky smirk as way of apology. She had been hearing all week about the newest chosen, and his widely entertaining antics. Alberich had even seemed amused in his own way when he had told her of the spunky trouble maker.

"Ah yes, the former thief of Hell's Gate."

"That'd be me, I'm impressed not many 'ave caught me in t'act before."

"Skif, this is Marie Fox."

"Oh aye, I've 'eard of ye before, Red calls ye ta mistress of blades."

"And rightly so," a new voice entered the exchange.

Although she already knew it, she turned to see Keren affirm her friend's nickname with a pleasant but stretched smile.

"Sorry to break this up, but my brother and yours would like a minute if you've got one?"

There was a slight air of seriousness in Keren's tone that alerted Marie to the business nature of the summons. She was up from the bench in a second and sending a smile to Jeri that said, _later_, followed the other Herald at pace.

Behind her Skif whistled low, and took up her empty seat at the table.

"She be intense, when she grabbed me I thought I'd insulted 'er for all ta fierceness in 'er face."

"She's actually very nice, but yes, she can be very intimidating."

"That weapons-master is the same way, hard-like, but he's gots some nice parts too."

Skif couldn't fathom the reaction, but Jeri was laughing suddenly with her head thrown back. He shook his head and reached for a roll,

"Girls are so weird," he thought.

.../...

Marie expected to head towards Teren's rooms but instead Keren was leading her toward the main Collegium where the central classes were held.

The main floor was shared by Cartography and Courtly Graces at the west end of the hallway, but as far as Marie knew there were three rooms on the East end that had been out of use for some years.

She found herself standing in front of a very large iron door that had been painted a matte black. The effect made the door blend in with the dark wood panels so that it almost became invisible in the shadows of the hallway.

Keren pulled a vertical latch out and then down causing the lock to click out of place with an audible snap and the door swung outward towards them instead of the other doors of the collegium, that swung in.

Teren was leaning against the instructor's desk his arms folded and a smirk on his face that hinted to Marie that this had been his endeavor. He swiveled his head towards the archway, when he saw Marie's astonished face.

Marie saw the classroom had been remodeled to include the room next door. This room was set up like the other classrooms, with tables and chairs facing a large slate clad wall, and a long table along one side with many rolled parchments depicting maps and weapon schematics covering its surface. Marie nodded her approval and stepped through a high archway into the adjacent room.

The next room was completely bare except for four large wardrobes that stood empty for her storage needs along one of the short walls. Light poured through five tall windows that hung side by side, allowing as much light into the room as was structurally possible. Elcarth and Inan were standing across the room in front of an extra stack of chairs looking around the room in an improving manner.

"As I'm sure you've guessed, my dear, these are your allocated classrooms. Will they serve you?" The Dean asked.

"Very well, thank you."

The smiling man nodded before continuing,

"Each of these rooms is fortified against sound, and vibration. The courtyard you see out there is impossible to get to from the outside unless you have access to one of the gardner's ladders, and have authorization to be on the keep wall. There is a door behind that long curtain to enter it, should you need to take your students outside but do not wish for prying eyes.

"Use this space however you see fit, and we are all here for you, should you need help. And that brings us to the next bit of business. We mentioned this morning that you would be supervised by two Senior Heralds. One of them, it was concluded must be a teacher, to help you through the demands of keeping a curriculum therefore Teren has been chosen to serve as your teaching mentor. The other should be someone competent to act as an authority, and mentor in how to handle situations outside of even your vast experience. In the end Talamir and I decided that Inan could best serve you in this capacity."

When Marie had first seen Teren and Inan with the Dean, she hadn't thought of them as possible mentors, only as friends. Elcarth's choices were more than appropriate, and she agreed that they were matched well for the tasks at hand.

She smiled a wide bright smile, that few had ever seen grace her face, and nodded her head to show her agreement to her, now, mentors.

"Excellent! Well I will leave you here, so that you can better discuss what needs to be done, I unfortunately have a council meeting to attend."

When Elcarth had gone and the door has shut, Marie, Inan, Teren and Keren, pulled chairs around the long table and began the grueling challenge before them.

"When Teren told me how much is really going into this, I have to say kitten, I don't much envy your job." Keren said with a shake of her flaxen head.

"I think the hardest part for me is to decide on things that are the most valuable. According to Kyril I'm designing two separate sets of classes, one for regular trainees, and another for trainees and Heralds who have the potential to become secret messengers.

"The training is similar, except more intense and rigorous for a smaller group."

"There is so much to know to be like the Clan Runners, I hardly know where to start. I've never really expected to teach heralds how to move or fight like the Clan. Although I do admit training the younger students will be easier, because there is much that will have to be relearned by the older students and newer Heralds. After too many years the Herlads become accustomed to a certain way of looking at things, it is much harder to retrain the seasoned than the new." Inan agreed.

Teren felt that nothing could be accomplished by looking at the problem from this angle, and so he tried,

"Given the competency level of our best fighters and defensemen, what additional skills would they require if they were to be special messengers?"

Marie thought hard for a moment before saying,

"Muffling techniques, breathing training, a little more about local plant-life, and survival knowledge is a must. Most of the Heralds I've talked too are too pampered for their own good, sure they can make do in a rundown tavern, or a weigh station, or even an abandoned house or barn, but what do all of these have in common?"

"Easy, they're all man made structures, that come with access to water, and stables, and local accommodations." grunted Keren from the end of the table.

"Exactly right. On messenger relays, there will likely not be any civilized location to park his or herself. In fact on many errands, unless they are acting as an official emissary, it will be safer if they avoid such places. It will be paramount that each Herald have the confidence with their surroundings to survive in the wilderness, in any weather, for long periods of time if necessary."

"That's true, being forced to rely so heavily upon one's own self, will teach them an attitude, and once they have learned that, the rest will not seem so hard." Inan nodded his head in full agreement with his charge.

"I still feel like we're putting the cart before the horse, I think I should have asked what are the qualifications you were thinking of for these, what did you call them, runners?" Teren corrected.

"Well first off, they do not need to be the best fighters, they should be comfortable and confident in their skills yes, but they do not need to be at the skill level of Inan or myself, although that does make some things easier.

"However, there are things that cannot be ignored. Candidates should have at least an ear for language and mimicry, I can't tell you how many times being able to fake a dialect or language has saved my hide from discovery. There will need to be some ability for roleplaying, they have to be able to make others believe in them, even through a false identity.

"Subtlety, is a major one." she continued after a pause.

"Also, being light on your feet, there will be times when riding through on a companion will be impractical... even insane, they will need to run on more than just the ground," Inan added

Marie nodded thoughtfully,

"I know this will sound strange to you, but it is not necessary for all those chosen to be young, or particularly fit. Actually those who can blend in with the locals is a far better messenger than one that sticks out."

Teren's eyebrows raised slightly, and then continued to think aloud, slowly.

"Because those who blend in will be overlooked by snatchers and the like?"

"Exactly. For this job the person must be both ghost and fighter. We all know the pull and binding nature of our duty to Valdemar, being a Herald means going at a moments notice to our deaths if it be necessary. However in such cases it is on orders that are clear and for well reasoned purpose. Sometimes this kind of game is played in the dark, in all probability we will need to send our people blind. That kind of dedication may be hard even for Herald, that's why I must insist that this position and it's training be optional."

Teren looked towards Inan and found his compatriot giving him a hard look of agreement. As if the elder man was reading his thoughts he answered Teren's unasked question.

"Our clan Eyes were always given the choice of opting out. True enough not many did so, but it is far safer to have volunteers than not. Those whom opted out were never ridiculed or looked down upon for some lack of respect or failure to the clan, that kind of mission was not for them, and we should offer the same option to our fellow Heralds."

"It is hard for me to think that there would be those who would not answer the request of their leader. I understand that not everyone among your people were fighters, but what if it became necessary in an emergency?"

"It matters not, if they do not volunteer, even in such a dire situation we must honor their right to say no. Among Heralds I imagine it will be quite different, since duty means so much more to our being. However I will only work with volunteers, no forced dedication has ever brought in lasting results."

Teren nodded as he thought about what they were saying.

"I think I understand."

Inan turned to Marie then, and inquired about her assistant instructor choices.

"I was thinking about Aaron and the twins."

"The twins?" Inan asked.

Marie smiled a guilty smile,

"Alia and Honey Fox, they are Nadia and Brom's children. Sadly we lost Nadia when they were born, and Brom died only three years ago."

Inan sat back in his chair dully, the air in his lungs rushing out in one short exhale. Brom had been a childhood playmate of his, and Nadia had been another close friend too.

"I am very sorry to hear that, but their children are here? Trained?" he spoke softly, trying to hide his shock in soft tones.

"They are the youngest Runners we ever had. Each of them is only thirteen years old."

Teren's interests were piqued, and he had to admit that he was anxious to meet such persons who were the age of some of their youngest trainees but apparently as well trained as some of their senior students.

"If they are that young, there may be issues with some of the older students taking cues and instruction from those younger and smaller than themselves."

"I considered that, but if need be Aaron can take over those individuals, and it will be better for the younger students to have instructors in their own age grouping. It is easier for a child to have self confidence while trying something new when they see a person of their own age having mastered it."

"I admit there is wisdom to that, I assume that Inan will assist in these training instructions as well?"

"Only the ones I am qualified for, remember that I never trained as an Eye or runner, I was like an undersecretary or clerk to my father, and not a warrior in my own right. I could fight, yes, but my skills were not as often tested as theirs, and our experiences are vastly different. I was chosen before Marie could really come into her own within the clan, and as adults we have lived very different lives."

"Well, I am very interested to see how all of this will unfold." Teren concluded.

Marie sighed heavily, but Teren nor Inan took much notice.

"_Chosen, remember that your superiors have seen many Heralds before you succeed in a mutlitude of ways, and that they would not have selected you for this task if they did not feel you were able to do it."_

Orestes wasn't a very overly opinionated Companion, he gave his thoughts voice when he sensed that Marie would hear him out, but otherwise was content to minimize his interaction to emotional empathy.

"_That's just it though, Elcarth, the Marshal, even the Queen, they don't actually know what this will change for Valdemar. They don't know the trouble they are inviting by taking these steps." _

Marie was all too aware of what kinds of attentions would be stirred if Valdemar began to play under the table as it were. Politics were always three sided or more, and running nations meant the need for as in-depth information as possible. The danger lay in what happened when the first of them were caught, when all the players become aware of the stakes.

When that happened the politics would become even grayer and more convoluted than they were now, making the Runner's job harder and harder as time wore on. There would be many pawns, many players, and as many graves dug along the way.

"_I agree, but Valdemar will never know it's real strength unless it is tested."_

"_Careful what you wish for love, even a soul such as yours should know better not to give fate ideas. I worry that inviting such a test will result in times and ventures never seen before in Valdemar. More than that, I fear once that flood gate is opened there will be no turning back."_

"_You are comparing what could happen in Valdemar to what has begun to occur in Karse."_

It was not a question.

"_Although they are enemies, Valdemar and Karse are not so different from the other that they cannot learn from the other's mistakes."_

"_We have learned from them, in small ways."_

"_Yeah, like you don't steal children or burn people with gifts if you can't control them."_

"_You still resent this move to push Valdemar into a new life, yet many of your people's efforts in Karse are to do the very same for their way of life."_

"_Karse is currently a dog that cannot be trusted to protect it'e people, a dog that only knows how to bark and bite."_

"_That may be, but you are not of that country, why do you care what happens to it?"_

"_Because all people deserve a chance at something better than oppression and corruption."_

"_Because to change is to be natural?"_

"_Yes, I suppose so."_

"_And aren't all changes fraught with difficult times and risks?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Don't you think that Valdemar has every right to change and be better than it is now, despite the risks that perhaps only a few can foretell?"_

"_I see what you are getting at, and you are correct. Thank you friend."_

"_You were born to protect so many, but protection can also be stifling. I would see you happy, and trusting in change, if not for Valdemar, than for yourself. You have been one role for so long that I think it became easier for you to ignore anything else that might have been. I do not condemn your decisions, but now that the circumstances are different, I implore you to think about the many choices that are open to you, as a leader, as a Herald, but most importantly as a grown woman."_

"_You have given me much to think about Orestes. I often wonder if you were once like me in a former life?"_

Marie was surprised by the intense emotion she suddenly felt from her companion. An odd mixture of startlement, guilt, and remorse. The feeling cut off as suddenly as it occurred and Orestes was still and blank as a slate being wiped clean.

She was vaguely aware of Teren's inquiries about classroom supplies as they all rose from their chairs and concluded their meeting. As she left the room she caught Inan giving her a strange look, but he didn't comment as he left in the direction of the Library.

"_Not to worry, his companion is talking to him too."_

Orestes' explanation to Inan's weird expression placated her worries and she allowed her mind to wander off to other things.

According to the new schedule that Elcarth had given her she didn't have anything to do until tomorrow morning, and since the sun had finally gone down she chose to walk the perimeter of the Healer's Collegium.

This was one of her favorite walks. The Healer's Wing of the Collegium was surrounded by some of the oldest trees around the palace. Many of the large elder branches provided shade and protection to some of the herbs growing in the medicinal gardens outside the House of Healing. At this time of year, and especially in this heat, the herb garden plots were radiating with wafts of heady scents from the madly blooming herbs and flowers. Many intermediate healers in their pale green robes were carefully watering each plant in the less intense heat of the evening. Even with the sun down the air was still very warm, and the healers were making every attempt to accommodate their growing charges with enough water.

As Marie reached the corner of the House of Healing she thought that in a an hour it might be cool enough to attempt some sleep. She turned on her foot to head back to the Main gate that would lead her directly to the Herald's wing, but rather uncustomary she walked smack into another figure, whom had just exited the healer's main entry.

"Ooooof!" was all the exclamation that the figure could afford.

Marie was too late to catch the person before they fell back into the grass. She immediately stuck out her hand to woman who, despite the heat, wore a heavy grayish pink dress under a lavender cloak.

"Watch where you're going!" the woman said sharply in an accent that was trying to be Rethwellan.

It was the fashion in court currently to feign a foreign accent, apparently this woman was trying for something she perceived to be exotic. Marie didn't pay it much mind and tried to apologize for her uncharacteristic moment of clumsiness.

"Oh never-mind! But now I've dropped the whole reason for coming down here in the first place!" the woman spat irritatingly.

Marie, looked about the two of them, and spotted a shiny bit of glass lying about five feet from the woman's shoe. Feeling uncomfortable she strode over to it and picked up the bottle of violent red liquid and handed it back to the woman.

Without looking at her, the woman plucked it back from Marie's hand and flounced off in the opposite direction. As she turned to go the cloak hood fell from her face and Marie recognized the face of Hulda, the foreign nurse who rather ineffectively was responsible for helping to care for Selenay's daughter Elspeth.

Marie had never officially met her, but she had been pointed out at gatherings and most of the circle had something uncharitable to say about the young Elspeth.

When it was just Heralds, the official name for the child was "The Royal Brat", if Hulda treated everyone in the manner Marie just witnessed it was no wonder that Elspeth had turned into a spoiled sourpuss under her care.

As she walked back to her room she puzzled over the incident, many things stuck in her mind as odd.

The thing that really bothered her was that she hadn't heard Hulda's approach, her footfalls were almost silent. Earlier when Skif had surprised her at dinner she had been impressed because his movements had been the result of a very skilled thief. Hulda was no slip of a woman, she was petite yes, but a woman of curves and as she had walked away from her small tumble it was clear that she was not particularly graceful. As Marie thought about her observations, she realized that as Hulda had retreated from Marie on the gravel walk, she hadn't _heard_ Hulda. She had perceived her feet crunching the dry grass, but there had been no sense of her through Marie's gift, and that worried the new Herald.

It wasn't until Marie was taking off her jerkin that her head snapped up in white faced panic.

Hulda was supposedly from Rethwellan, she had been described as Selenay's treacherous former consort's nanny, when he was a boy. Somehow the math of that didn't work. Hulda didn't look any older than thirty, and to all accounts she hadn't aged much in the five years she'd been here. If anything Marie had heard some people say that she looked younger.

No matter how Marie analyzed it, she couldn't come up with a plausible reason for someone who was supposedly from Rethwellan to fake the accent. There was no reason to, unless she wasn't from Rethwellan at all?

Marie remembered the odd flip of Hulda's vowels in the undertones of the Valdemarian she had spoken to her. Rethwellans didn't flip any of their vowels, their language was fluid, but not overly elegant. It also wasn't gritty like many of the common dialects found around the region.

Marie knew she couldn't take unsupported accusations to her superiors, especially about a woman with as many court acquaintances as Hulda apparently had. Instead she resolved to talk it over with Talamir or Alberich in the morning.

She had endured a very long day, and it was entirely possible that the heat was making her see shadows that were in fact nothing. So what if Hulda wasn't actually from Rethwellan, that didn't mean she wasn't whom she said she was, it just meant that she might have had another home in her early life?

Marie pushed the suspicion to a remote area of her mind and focused on the mediocre tasks of getting to bed. Tomorrow was soon enough to think on this again.

A/N: I hit an obstacle while writing this story that meant going back to the beginning and rewriting some of it. If you haven't read this story in a while I would recommend going through it again, some details have been rewritten or taken out to add better flow throughout the story. I cannot make any guarantees on when the next chapter will be up, but I will do my best to crank one out soon! Thanks and please review.


	19. Chapter 19

Unknown Wars Chapter 19: Distant Stones

It was several days of library research and lesson writing, that kept Marie from speaking to Alberich about her encounter with the royal nanny. In fact, six days later while she was arranging her classroom in preparation for her first lesson, a thought stopped her in mid task.

_Orestes, is it my imagination or has Alberich been absent from the Collegium lately?_

_The weaponsmaster has been taking care of a situation that has come to his attention in Haven._

Marie's head straightened a bit at Orestes' use of "weaponsmaster" to describe Alberich. It was an accurate description, yes, but there was no reason to speak of him that way when it was just them. It occurred to her that perhaps Orestes was repeating a message from Kantor. Alberich's Companion was always rather succinct in his messages when he would relay information to others. This habit often made Marie smile and made her think that Kantor must have been a soldier in some previous life.

Marie thought briefly about this, and resumed her plans. It would be silly to worry over nothing, and since Alberich hadn't mentioned anything to her in advance about being gone she could only assume that the situation was unexpected. No one that she had talked to seemed concerned or preoccupied when she had inquired after his whereabouts, so she could only conclude that the matter was well in hand and she would see him soon.

However, later in the evening, she nor anyone else had yet to see the weaponsmaster.

_My Own, where is he?_

She spoke firmly to alert Orestes and anyone else who might be in on this conversation that she was not in the mood to be coddled.

Orestes said nothing, but his emotions were almost screaming frustration and a weird sense of subordination.

_Tell Kantor, I am not in the mood. Why is it so hard to tell me simply, where he is?_

_It is not your business._

This voice was neither Kantor or Orestes. It was stronger, but the words were almost forced, as though speaking in human sentences was difficult for the Companion. Marie grounded herself and opened her mind fully to the voice's presence.

She mentally staggered when she came mind to mind with The Monarch's Own Companion, Rolan.

_Not my business? I am a Herald, and if he is in trouble I will have you tell me._

From the sidelines of her mind, Marie could almost see Orestes wince. She understood that the chain of command for companions ran parallel for Heralds, but at this moment she would face an army of Talamirs to assure Alberich's safety.

But he said nothing, instead the connection was snapped off and Orestes was left alone with his chosen who was ready to spit fire.

Marie could feel Orestes was gathering his thoughts to say something inane and apologetic, and she knew that if he got even one word out it would be worse. Abruptly she put up a mental block as way of saying,

_Not now._

All she could think of was Rolan's single phrase of a thousand meanings.

_It is not your business. _

She hadn't asked him what the situation was, she hadn't asked for specific details of what he was doing, or when he would be back. She had wanted to know where he was, yes, but everyone in her mind knew what she really wanted to know: was he safe?

How could that information not be her business? What could possible harm the situation, whatever it was, by her knowing that?

Many questions and self doubts lingered through her continued anger and frustration until she could no longer remain idol in her room. She thought about going to Karen and Ylsa to talk it out, but something shifted unpleasantly in her stomach at the thought of it. Realizing that she had already started in that direction she turned blindly down an unfamiliar hallway and strode down a back stair that let out onto a stone landing with the option to continue downward or forward through another corridor.

Even though she had erected a mental block to keep Orestes out she could still sense her surroundings, and something pulled at her to walk the unknown corridor. The stones here were much darker than the pale sandstone in the heralds wing. A single torch sconce bared a small amount of light over the far t-junction at the end where Marie could make out the glare of an iron work window.

The air was stagnant here, and hinted that mildew mold had most likely taken root in some of the cracks in the mortar.

She was nearing the t-junction when she noticed something else.

It was a very familiar smell that was almost completely masked by the mold that made Marie forget all about Alberich, and the Companion Rolan. A smell that stopped her in her tracks and made her heart drop into her stomach a little.

She hoped she was wrong and that when she turned the corner she would not find what she feared, but after a few more steps she knew this was a fruitless hope. The air that had been faintly metallic, was now dominated by a sour and acrid foretelling of death. The iron and salt smell indicated a fair amount of blood had likely been spilled. Although what she was sensing was not fresh, she still dropped her arm to slip her wrist knife into her hand just in case.

Edging her way to the corner she peeked down the left junction and saw an empty spans of four feet and a very lavish stained glass window set deep into the wall. Looking back over her shoulder she confirmed that she was alone in the narrow corridor, and pivoted around to grab the sconce off the wall in an act of stealthy silence.

Torch in one hand and her blade in the other, she rounded the corner and sighed in relief when she found herself alone in an alcove with the unfortunate retch on the floor.

The man was on his stomach with his face, covered in a thin veil of dark grey hair, twisted into a grimace and turned oddly to the side. A small blood stained knife hilt could be glimpsed under the surcoat protruding from the lower abdomen. Marie had seen such deadly wounds before and knew that it could definitely account for the amount of blood that had pooled around the body and was now congealing on the stone floor.

Closing her eyes she released the mental block against her companion and alerted him to send senior heralds to her location, giving Orestes mental clues for the route she had taken.

While she waited for the reinforcements Marie relit the other sconces in the alcove and returned the torch to it's iron ring around the corner. Far off she could hear the clamber of boots on the back stair, as she returned to the body.

Squatting down beside the man, she let out a small sigh.

If she had been a regular Herald, unseasoned by war and unfamiliar with death, she may have vomited at the stench. The body had definitely been there for more than half a day, based on how the skin looked. Being respectful of the body, she very carefully moved the man's hair from his face with the hilt of her blade.

The face, although pale and distorted, was very familiar.

At this angle she could make out the light purple ruffle of the nobleman's title sash that was bunched at the right shoulder and secured with his house-hold cloak pin. It seemed that Lord Carthwright's unsavory alliances had turned against him.

Although Marie was not totally surprised that his Lordship had met with such an end, this was not a matter that could be disguised or dealt with quietly. This was a member of the Queen's court and a Master of the Weaver's Guild, his absence would certainly be noticed. There was also the implication that the murderer could still be at large within the Palace or Collegium to consider.

Marie was saved from fretting alone on this matter when a Senior Healer and the Lord Marshal Herald, along with Heralds Gabriel and Beltren came rushing around the corner. Marie stood off to the side while the healer examined the body.

Hedric wasted no time in getting Marie's account of discovering Lord Carthwright and conferred with the Healer before stationing Beltren and Gabriel to guard the body while he reported to the Queen. Marie had always thought the Lord Marshal to be highly efficient in his role, and so was not put off by his brisk and business-like mannerisms.

She leaned up against the cold stone and lazily watched the healer turn the late lord over. The knife was much longer than she had originally guessed, and she felt sorry for the slain man. The healer was busy with something, when a twinkling light briefly blinded Marie.

She blinked hard a few times before refocusing her attention to something that was pinned under a fold in the lord's surcoat. Bending down she tugged at the fold until the object unhooked itself and a golden insignia broach fell to the floor.

The clasp on the back had been bent and splintered around a scrap of dark silk. The color of the scrap was not a pattern of fabric that matched anything garbing Lord Carthwright, nor was it an appropriate weight or blend that was typical for the climate of Valdemar.

Tasking her mind to figure out this detail later, Marie looked carefully at the broach. It was surprisingly light in her hand, but the insignia hiding under a partial smear of blood was no less recognizable.

Staring back at her in the white and black heraldry, was the mark of the Sun Priests.

...

Selenay was not often speechless, however, the small oval pin in Marie's outstretched hand had rendered her so. As her mind tried to weed through months of Marie's reports for anything that could explain the object's appearance in connection to Lord Carthwright, part of her thought it funny that such a small thing could cause so much worry.

The obvious connection was the Sun Lord Inquisitor that had been with Lord Carthwright during MidSummer. However nothing had been reported since his appearance in Haven that specifically proved the man's involvement in anything untoward.

To Selenay, it seemed as though the situation was a fluke, or else it was a deliberate mis-direction of resources to hide a larger game. It was this possibility that threatened and scared her the most. She had shared these suspicions with Marie and was gratified by her agreement of their possibility. However neither of them had any inkling as to how to handle the situation further. Selenay sought Marie's gaze but the younger woman was still staring at the artifact with furrowed brows.

The discovery of this object had launched Marie into a whirlwind of upheaval, and she felt that if she didn't try to concentrate on it now, she may miss something later.

Valdemar's people had lived for several lifetimes without acknowledging the existence of magic. To them, magic was a source of power that had once been, but was no longer in the world.

Marie knew better.

For some reason these people had chosen, in mass, to forget magic. While it surely existed in other realms of the world, for some reason it didn't work here. This had always been the most troubling hypocrisy in her mind. The Companions, and the Heralds, Healers, and Bards with "gift"; they were all beings that harbored magic within them, yet tangible use of natural magic had been oblitherated from their daily lives.

How could Valdemar protect against that which they refused to acknowledge? Magic could still be used against them surely. With the presence of Sun Priests in Haven, it wasn't a stretch to conclude that Sun Lords and their magician made pets were too far behind.

Fear was beginning to creep back into Marie, dauntless and irrational fears that she had believed she could leave in the desert were now summoned from afar to hunt out her heart once again. She knew that none in her current group would fully believe her if she spoke of them now, and without proof they would likely see her as paranoid or worse, crazy.

No, there were only a few she could share this with.

Her eyes, for certain.

Alberich? It was unclear. Perhaps he had lived too long in their sheltered company to remember accurately the magic of Karse.

For now, she would have to remand her suspicions to those whom had seen the things she had experienced.

Marie glanced over her shoulder when she felt a small draft at the back of her neck, and nodded absently to Aaron who clung to the window frame. His expression was not urgent, but it was clear that he knew something of this event.

Aaron face snapped to attention when he saw the old haunted look in his friend's face. He hadn't seen that look in some time, and secretly had never wished to see it again. He paused and perched upon the window sill to wait for the summons of the Queen.

A look passed between Hedric and Selenay before the queen deftly gestured to her Herald's spy.

Aaron didn't move at first, but looked carefully around the room pausing to almost glare at the guards posted inside the door frame, and through the arch to stare at one or two lingering council members who were eyeing their small group.

His meaning was not subtle.

Selenay put a practiced smile firmly in place before gesturing to the far door, which would lead into her private parlor.

Hedric paused only to send a summons for Talamir to join them immediately, and then stiffly followed the others.

The Monarch's Own arrived through a side door, that otherwise looked like a regular panel in the wall. He didn't ask any questions, he simply walked to the Queen and took the piece of jewelry from her outstretched hand.

The old man recognized the insignia as well as anyone else in the small room. Taking a chair he sat defeatedly, closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You knew they were among us!" Hedric's angry voice shouted from across the room.

"I've known there were spies in Haven, yes. I had only guessed they were from Karse, and I had no inclination to believe they were of the Sun Priest variety." Talamir countered, looking up inquiringly at Marie.

"I've told you everything at my disposal, and if you remember I had warned you in the beginning that eventually, my enemies would search for me."

"You, you, why is it always about you? We have been sworn enemies with Karse for over ten lifetimes, why do you think this is solely about you?" Hedric spat.

Marie had never seen this side of the Lord Marshall before, but had to remind herself that murder was not as common in Valdemar, and these events were quite troubling for the other man.

"I'm not saying that it necessarily is about me, however given the information I have given you about my circumstances, how could you be so surprised that Haven has apparently played host to one?"

Marie instantly regretted the lecturing tone she heard in her own voice, when she saw Hedric's face twist into sneer of indignation. She braced herself for another biting tirade, only to hear Talamir's usually quiet voice pierce the room and bellow over whatever Hedric had started to say.

"Enough! Hedric, you knew this was a possibility, we all have known it could happen for years. We have lived under a blanket of ignorance for too long to suppose it likely, but we have all known that Karse and Rethwellan have both grown bold in our recent eras of peace. As for why here and why now, there is not sufficient evidence at this time to know for sure whether or not Marie's presence has been a factor in their arrival or not, nor should we focus blame at this time. We should be asking ourselves if he was in fact alone, or if there are others?"

As Talamir spoke he looked sharply between the Lord Marshall and Marie, stunning them both into silence.

"He was not alone." Aaron interjected into the lull.

"Since Mid-Summer, several of our networks have reported strange transactions here in Haven, including the human trade issue in Hells Gate."

Marie was surprised to hear of a slavery ring active within the city, but gave no hint of her ignorance. Aaron's language indicated that the information was not new to the assembled party, and Talamir's tiny nod confirmed the suspicion. Marie's eyes slid to Aaron, who's gaze communicated that a much larger conversation after this meeting was necessary.

"His Lordship has been seen in many unsavory companies in the last several months, although it is unclear whether he himself was ever completely aware of his "friend's" allegiances."

"Perhaps becoming aware of them is the cause of his death." Talamir murmured, almost to himself.

"It is very likely. Carthwright was always very amiable and smooth in social and business crowds, but very rarely was he ever malicious or cruel. It is very likely that he was blindsided by his greed for social standing, but we won't know more unless we make the inquiries."

Selenay was looking away from the crowd, toward to window, but not at anything in particular. Her face was neither angry nor sad, but in a few short moments she seemed to have aged years. Her eyes carried resignation and the slump of her shoulders spoke of a weariness that came with the anticipation of difficult decisions.

Refocusing her attention to Talamir's words, Selenay brought her head up,

"What needs doing, right now, is to determine why Lord Carthwright was murdered here in the Palace. There are at least ten other locations that he frequents, including his own home that would have been more conspicuous than a corridor where anyone could have happened upon him. Hedric, in the morning you will send Heralds to his home to inquire of his business and habits. Talamir and I will convey the tragedy to the members of court and do our best to sniff information out through the gossip mill. Marie, I suspect your resources will uncover the bulk of the information we will need, but we must appear to go about our normal affairs in the eye of the public."

Talamir nodded his agreement to the plan, and Hedric while muttering an apology to Marie and Talamir, inclined his head to the Queen before making a hasty exit.

"He means well, youngling."

"I didn't take it to heart. I know that Lord Carthwright and the Lord Marshall grew up together. Even if they had gone their separate ways, it must still be devastating to see a former friend ended in such a way."

"Yes, I expect so." Talamir said the last with his thoughtful voice, but when Marie looked up at him, his expression had not changed.

Marie made a somewhat stiff salute to Selenay, and motioned to Aaron to follow her. There was almost no one about at this time of night. The students were mostly in their dorms, or lingering in the library, but there were none at large in the Collegium grounds.

For some reason Marie couldn't articulate, she shied away from the comfort of her room, or the watchful eyes of those in Companion's Field. Instead she led Aaron to her classroom, and lit a few of the ceiling hung oil lamps to help illuminate the dark room.

Pulling out a couple of chairs she and Aaron settled discretely against a barren wall where they could easily see the door, and hear any warning echos from the corridor.

"We have not known about the slavery ring for more than a few days, Skif, the newest Herald in training tipped us off to it, when he told Alberich. He has convinced the weaponsmaster into laying a trap for the organizers in Haven. I expect that's why Alberich has been gone so much lately, they have been preparing."

Aaron's words were not surprising, if anything Marie found them quite enlightening. She said nothing for a few minutes, letting her jumbled thoughts simmer into a coherent thread.

"Yes, I spoke to Kantor and to Rolan on this manner, without much success. I wish I had known, I wonder if they know what they're getting themselves into? I have faith in Alberich to know when he needs assistance, but-"

Marie stopped as she gracefully removed herself from the chair. She continued while pacing methodically,

"Skif strikes me as someone who is more intelligent than he lets on, but with that comes a boldness and a knack for rash behavior. Slavers are a hard breed, and cold hearted. You have to be, to think of a human being as less than an animal. There will be no reasoning with that ilk, no hesitation on their part for mercy or negotiation, I wonder if either of them will be prepared for that?"

"What bother's you more; that he went off on this mission, or that he didn't let you in on it?"

"The latter. I can handle not being involved in a scheme where my presence can damage it's favor, but I would rather know than be in the dark."

"It means you'd worry over him, he may have wanted to spare you that."

"It's also possible that he was told not to tell others of the plan, for fear of tipping off their targets."

"I didn't get that impression, since there are Heralds waiting as backup to assist them."

He had said the last bit rather absentmindedly, but Aaron winced as he saw the hurt render in her eyes. It was brief, but it had been there. Marie crossed over her chest as she turned slowly and walked to the far end of the room to lean against a tall window frame.

She heard Aaron's chair scuff the floor as he stood,

"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly.

Marie gazed up at the bit of sky she could see through the inner courtyard, the sky had clouded over and a few drops rain had begun to clamber to the dusty ground.

"That eventually, our roles will reverse. Someday I may need to go, and as much as I may want to tell him, I may not be able to."

"Talamir has spoken to you then?"

"He has, though I doubt even he truly understands the gravity of our current situation."

"What did I interrupt earlier?"

"We found the mark of the Sun Lords on Lord Carthwright, and while there was definitely pause in the others..."

"They refuse to see it as we do." he stated flatly.

"What can you tell me about their denial?" she asked.

"From what the old tales have to say, and most of these come from the ballads of Herald Vanyel's time. They call him the last Herald Mage, and from what the chroniclers have to say it seems that the 'mage gift' had been becoming more and more scarce by the time of his death."

"But nothing about magic other than that?"

"Not so far. There is something else though, I have lived here for over a decade, and I have noticed that my memories of magic seem to recall themselves in my mind as far away dreams. Until I reconnected with Vorn I wasn't sure whether my memories of the mage beasts were real."

Marie blinked.

Thinking on it now, her own memories of magic had become softer, but she had attributed it to living in a place unaffected by such dangers. Then a small, almost scant inkling came upon her.

"Maybe it's this place, specifically, that causes the denial. How, I haven't a clue? Further more, how can we use it to our advantage? Karse considers any nation that wields magic to be a monumental threat to their own brand of power."

Aaron blew out a long breath, what he had to say was not easy for him.

"That power has been abused by the feeble and weak minded, greed seekers for over three generations. To change such a corrupted system means playing a much bigger game than we have been dedicated to.

"In the beginning we played this game for your father's dream of releasing a people from righteous oppression. Then we followed you to save our way of life.

"Now we have joined the cause of the Heralds and recovered eighty percent of our remaining family. Yes they are now safe to live any life they wish, but we have had to give up our home to do so. I followed you as my best friend, and then out of duty to my Lady General." he paused to take another deep breath.

"When I say I am with you, it is not because I feel I have no other options. It is because we, the clan, have no more home. Whatever home we make now, we cannot create without you. The ruins and outskirts of Karse are all the home I will ever truly know, and as corrupt as her heart is, it is the only home you will ever know too. Don't we owe it to who we are to try to reclaim her?"

Marie hadn't heard such passion from her oldest friend in so long, she had feared that somewhere along the way this part of him had died. His words struck tender cords inside her, and she realized that while she loathed the twisted leaders of Karse for all their war mongering and the deaths she had witnessed at their hands, Aaron was right. Karse was still her beloved home, and she would never really be complete in her duties unless she worked to reclaim the world her father had taught her to love.

"I think Talamir knows what must, eventually, be done. I have to admit that though he seems to walk both in this realm and that of death, he is in a unique position to see the ultimate grand scale of our actions. In many ways he seems to cling to the times past, but he knows that change is coming on the wind." she whispered.

"He aslo can see that he won't live that long." Aaron finished.

"It's not a nice reality we're faced with, the murder not withstanding. The stakes are much higher than any of us supposed, and he knows he's not up to the fight anymore. If we, and a few precious Heralds, lay a trap of this nature...how will we know whom to trust? How can we play both games and protect those we must?"

Aaron gripped her shoulder in support that he knew could never be enough. She sighed and looked away from him to her clasped hands.

"I haven't agreed to his scheme yet, I'm still thinking about it."

Aaron nodded his acceptance.

"Whatever you decide, I am with you."

Any further discussion was interrupted by the heavy sound of hooves and rushing voices awakening the desolate quiet of the Collegium.

It was now very late, but the commotion in the square was raising the small hairs on the back of Marie's neck. A single look between the two friends had them abandoning the classroom for the path that led to the main square connecting the three collegiums.

Torches, and commanding voices lit up the space with activity, and amongst the blabber of information available from ten directions, Marie honed in on everything concerning Alberich.

"Was surprised from behind, heard he saved Skif"

"He's not dead, but definitely injured."

"They're bringing him back from Haven now, he'll need fixing for at least a week."

One arrogant snot dared to jibe,

"Wonder if that means we won't have lessons for a week?"

Marie knew that the weaponsmaster was not well liked, but she wasn't prepared for the anger she felt at such a comment. She made her way towards the square, but was stopped by a flash of white in the corner of her eye. It wasn't Orestes, he was wisely staying away from her, both physically and mentally.

The rain was falling harder now, pushing the less involved out of the open and back under the cover of buildings and eaves.

She saw Kantor following a small flatbed cart towards the House of Healing, but she didn't follow. Her eyes were focused on Rolan who was walking reluctantly towards her.

She scoffed at him in her mind, and felt emboldened by the anger she felt rising in her chest.

The Companion faltered a little as he neared her, but still sought her gaze bravely.

Talamir had once indicated that words were not how Rolan preferred to communicate with him, and so Marie let open a small gate in her shields to push out her feelings of anger and betrayal at the Companion in front of her.

Rolan backed up a few paces, though never dropping his head, his ears did flicker back in an effort to appear shamed.

Marie's concentration was broken by Talamir's sage like voice rumbling softly from behind her.

"My Companion left you out of this evening's proceedings at my request. I knew that you would inquire, and likely that if Alberich was in danger that you would be among the first to drop everything to be with him." he said solemnly.

"So it was a test."

"Yes and no. The task you are considering may require you to keep the most vital of secrets from Alberich, or even Aaron. The mental attitude you must cultivate, is to trust no one, the stakes are that high. You may die, and he will never know why or what for. Likewise, the special messengers we ask you to train will also have to cultivate this attitude. Too many people have been compromised over details that were shared carelessly with others. We have been a people too far removed from the workings of the world. We are compromised every time we speak. What you have within you to teach us will be vital to our survival.

You were chosen because you, more than anyone else, understand these steps as necessary. Given everything you are feeling right now, indignation, betrayal, remorse, sadness, longing, and anger, can you dedicate yourself to be the Lady General that we, your fellow Heralds, require of you?"

Instantly Marie let go of everything she felt over Alberich's situation, and blocked out everything except Talamir's wisdom. He was right, if they were going to embark on this greater journey she would have to sacrifice too.

Clasping one fist over her heart, she bowed at her waist to the elderly Herald as though she were once again in her father's presence, and made her most solemn oath to the Monarch's Own.

In the distance, a few Heralds felt something in their hearts quicken. A force of change was coming, though their minds could not force the secrets to light. A few looked around them, but could see nothing out of place. Further off one or two pairs of eyes saw Talamir and Marie walking towards Companion's Field side by side into the darkness, but paid it no heed.

...

Though the night before had been filled with adventure and drama, that was now circulated in all forms of gossip from Collegium to Haven; the next day was greeted by the remorse of more than one student. Many had assumed that with the weaponsmaster under the heavy care of the healers, that weapons practice would go untaught. To their great trepidation the news got around rather quickly that while Herald Alberich was recuperating, Marie Fox would be instructing students in the Salle until his healthy return.

Marie's hope was that by the time Alberich returned, his students would openly welcome him back with open arms. She knew better than to disrupt style and form lessons already taught under Alberich's direction, so instead she had his students running the obstacle course with added weights in their pockets, or running the length of the neighboring field with buckets of water, to increase stamina and muscle strength.

In the beginning the students had welcomed the change of pace that these alternative lessons promised, but after two days of strength training, each began to long for the bruises administered by their weaponsmaster.

For the older students and full Heralds, Marie agreed to spar with them as well as run the course with them. It was different for the students to see their instructor pulling her own weight in water down the field, and gave them confidence in knowing that she was only asking them to do what she could do herself.

Marie of course had additional motives for these exercises. They proved to be the best evaluation of her prospective students inherent skills. Within three days, she knew which students were the most agile, the most flexible, and which were likely to become so over time.

She had yet to visit Alberich in the House of Healing, at least while he was awake. During the first day he had been given a powerful sleep aid so that the healers could mend his tissues without as much discomfort to him. While they had worked, Marie had sat alongside him holding his hand.

When she had been assured of his recovery, she had gone back to her duties, and had quickly volunteered to cover his.

Alberich had been privately touched when the healers had informed him of his devoted friend whom had spent the first night beside him. He had lamented not telling her of the mission, but seemed glad to know she wasn't too unhappy with him.

Later in the week, a few days before he could return to his normal life and his normal bed; Alberich was lounging with a book when Ylsa came in to visit him. Alberich looked up with a slight quirk in his mouth when he beheld Ylsa, looking utterly exhausted and rubbing a bandaged spot in her shoulder.

Carefully slipping a bit of ribbon between the pages of his place, he set the book aside and greeted her.

"I am to assume that someone took charge of sparring practices?"

"You didn't know? I thought for sure you two were in on it." Ylsa said with a weary smile.

"All I was told by Elcarth, was that he would find someone to instruct some sparring lessons while I was in here. Whom did he convince?" he asked airily.

"He didn't have to convince anyone. Marie volunteered to take all your classes, and Elcarth agreed to postpone her own until you were better. She hasn't been doing as much sparring with the younger students though, she mostly has them running the course and sprinting with buckets of water down and up the length of the field."

"Has merit her tactics." he conceded.

"Yes, she runs with them when there aren't older students or full Heralds who want to spar. I just got done with my hour, I think I pulled something in my shoulder, but it was worth it. I think a lot of us who haven't seen combat in a while have gotten used to how we fight against each other, or how to fight you. Not that it's easy mind you.

"But you know what to expect in terms of our style and with her its all new again." Ylsa continued.

"Change is a good thing. The enemy will not fight the same as we." Alberich agreed.

"That's about what she said, and you know? Inan got her without weapons the other day, but she still beat him. Attacked him in mid swing of his practice blade, and bit him pulled his hair and fist cuffed him in the nose." Ylsa said with a small laugh.

"I saw him in here, after, his nose looked half broken, he wouldn't say how it happened." he chuckled.

Ylsa nodded, before taking the chair closest to him. Her tone lowered a little,

"There's a rumor going around that though you told some of us what was happening, you didn't tell her. Has she been by, I mean since you've been awake?"

He shook his head.

"Well I wanted to tell you, that she works just as hard as we do during lessons, and she's been taking her meals in her rooms for the last week. It's been hard to get an emotional read on her."

Alberich took this in with a small nod.

A bit later when Ylsa had gone, Alberich had tried to go back to his book, but found that his thoughts were too cluttered with what had gone unsaid during his adventure with Skif. He had meant to pull her aside and tell her a little of what was going on, but whenever he had tried something had come up, or Talamir had chosen the exact moment to waylay him into conversation. If he didn't know better he would have suspected the old man was trying to keep him from telling her. He would have further dismissed the thought, but Kantor brushed his mind with a small swath of guilt.

_You're not wrong._

_What do you mean?_

_Talamir did want Marie in the dark. He even went so far as to order Rolan to block Orestes or I from giving her any hint of your activities._

_He what!_

_Rolan says that Talamir wished to make a point to Marie. According to Orestes she isn't vexed with any of us, but as I am able to I thought you should know._

Alberich took ten seconds to digest this, before throwing the sheets from him and using a crutch to lift his laundered uniform off a stool. It took much longer to get dressed with the current state of his injuries, but it could be done with patience. The boots he had to leave off as his broken ribs still prevented him from reaching towards his toes. Tucking the pair of crutches under his arms, he carefully hobbled with as much stubborn dignity as he could muster toward the side door that connected to the main square.

A young healer saw the weaponsmaster leave, sans boots, but given what he heard the other Heralds say about him and a certain red haired warrior, Devan had the good grace not to notice which way he was headed once he was out of the building.

Alberich surveyed the lantern lit Collegium, and looked toward the Salle, knowing that the last of the students would have just left for their rooms and baths. The lights were still lit inside and Alberich felt sure that Marie could be found there. His progress was slow, but steady as he made for his academic domain.

As he neared the Salle door, he saw the lantern light snuff out and the faint glimmer of light that remained was coming from his parlor fireplace just beyond the Salle.

He walked awkwardly through the Salle and into the smaller rooms that was his home. He paused in the shadows to watch Marie through a small gap in the sliding wood door. She was pulling off her grey and russet jerkin, and sitting heavily into his chair in front of the fire, while the kettle boiled water on the hutch. Her hair had been pulled tight in a braid against her scalp, but now she loosened the braid with tired fingers.

It was a delicate moment of feminine beauty as she brushed through her long tresses with the boar bristle brush that he kept on the mantle.

Alberich moved the door aside, and made the few steps between them to brush his hand deftly through her hair until it rested at the nape of her neck. She was nuzzling his fingers and wrist, willing him to touch her more.

Marie had thought she was alone until her own heart beat had slowed to reveal his, strong and healthy. She had missed him, and was strangely comforted by the idea of him watching her in such an unguarded and private moment. She hadn't stirred a muscle as he had come up behind her, and now with his hand holding her head, intimately, she leaned into him.

Marie knew that standing like this was not good for his injuries, and so she stood and taking him by the hand, led him gently into his bedroom. Once in privacy, she allowed him to lean almost totally upon her as she took the crutches from him, and began to untie the fasteners of his shirt. Noting the bruises and bandages covering his ribs and shoulders she methodically removed his uniform, and reached behind him for the flannel shirt he preferred to sleep in.

With expert care, she lowered him to his bed and shifted his limbs until he was comfortable. Kissing the left brow of his face she retreated to the other room only long enough to fetch some of the tea she had brewed.

He shivered a little to her kiss and wished he were healed enough to embrace her fully. For now, he would have to bide his time and mend. He drank the vile bitter tea she offered him, knowing it would soon take his aches away. When she went to pull a chair closer, he stopped her and instead motioned for the empty space next to him.

Marie hesitated a moment, before kicking her boots off, and removing her trousers. It was the first time her mind hadn't concocted a reason why she shouldn't lie next to the man she loved. Cuddled up next to him, nothing of the last week seemed to matter, he was here with her now.

Alberich inhaled her scent that was clouded with chalk and a sweet hay smell from working in the Salle. Her fragrance was like warmed wood and a soft breath of spring flowers. It had been missing from his life for what had seemed like too long. Now she was here, next to him. He inhaled, ready to apologize but her small hand shot out to press a finger to his lips. Shaking her head a little she kissed him softly and whispered,

"Not tonight, let's just sleep"

"Sleep then, My Lovely"

The tea had been strong, and soon he was relaxing into a heavy sleep, entangled in his love's arms.

Beside him, Marie watched as he drew deep breaths and slumbered unconcerned with the many ghosts that threatened her dreams. It seemed like an age before her own eyes fell closed and sleep overtook her.

Around them the air crackled with a chill that only the most seasoned fighter would recognize on the eve of battle. The world was on the precipice of altering everything that had come before it; but those who could have known, knew nothing but the embrace of their love woven in the depth of dreams.

A/N: Thank you for your continued patience and please review.


	20. Chapter 20

Unknown Wars Chapter 20: Blind Trust

An off putting drizzle, masquerading as early morning fog, greeted Marie when she lifted her head from her linen pillow two days later. While she was fond of Alberich's bed, over her own lonely one, the events that transpired the following morning after her cozy stay over were not worth repeating any time soon.

As soon as it was light enough to see two hands in front of their noses, the senior most healers had descended upon the happy sleepers. After an abrupt and rude awakening they had bestowed upon the pair of Heralds the most guilt laden and stern lecture of injury recovery dos and donts that had been heard in twenty years. Afterward Alberich has been dosed with another tray full of potions and salves, while Marie was quickly and efficiently removed from his abode with firm instructions to,

"leave him to mend properly." As one prudish healer had put it, in an admonishing tone.

No doubt it was the healers devote belief that she had squirreled him away on purpose with the sole agenda to exhaust the poor man. It was a saving grace to her dignity that she found their ideas endearing and ridiculous.

It was just as well, this was going to be a busy day, might as well get an early start on it.

Briskly walking across the field to her dormitory, she found the cool air and light drizzle quite refreshing after so many months of intense heat and drought. Although her steps were spirited and her trip brief, her hair was still slick against her scalp and her uniform damp by the time she reached the side door.

Once in her room she decided against a bath, since she had effectively just had a small one outside. Instead she donned a fresh uniform and combed out her hair until it was dry enough to braid. Grabbing her research and tucking the clan journals into her leather satchel, she stuffed a few apples into her pouch pockets and made it to her classroom a hair before Inan and Teren.

Inan was looking at the arrangement of desks and the supplies in the next room, noting that what he had originally assumed was going to be a light tussle ring, was set up rather like some of the science halls in the artificer's guild. He puzzled some more on the purpose of this arrangement while Teren skimmed the lesson plans Marie had prepared for his approval.

"Why the laboratory set up in the other room?" Inan asked after his appraisal of her space.

"I realized that although Kyril tasked me with designing the new curriculum, it was not in his intentions to land me with the sole responsibility of teaching both sets of classes. My real talents lie within teaching an attitude that will be cultivated through the joined efforts of many. I can teach tactics, war theory and history, survivalist methods, and I have a unique experience on the subject of spying, and securing a nation against her enemies. That is really what Kyril and Elcarth want from me.

"I will instruct the trainees through a theory class for the time being, but I expect that eventually the same subject matter can be integrated into the broader History classes.

"I had initially thought of teaching advanced combat tactics, but that should really be left to Alberich's discretion and direction. I can step in, to teach specific anecdotes to that underlying discipline, but how would it look to non-Heralds if combat and physical war skills were being split so openly between two instructors. It would draw suspicion where it would not serve us. No, it is better if Alberich continue as he always has, and he and I can discuss where enhancements are needed on a person to person basis."

"He has already agreed to this arrangement?" Teren asked with surprise written plainly over his features.

Marie nodded.

"Alright, there is one point I feel I should mention as your advisor. I know that Alberich had that uniform made for you as an alternative to the "target outfit" that the rest of us wear, but it seems to me that a formal instructor of the Collegium should wear Whites." he hedged.

"I respect the position you are taking, however I disagree with you. Selenay has no issue with my continued use of this off-color uniform. I do admit that there will be instances when nothing but the official whites will do, but I do not agree that my teaching position is necessarily one of them. You may rest assured that whenever I take my students off of the Collegium grounds, as an instructor or not I will wear the appropriate set of Herald Whites. However, for most of my lessons conducted within these two rooms, and elsewhere within the company of Heralds this set is ideal for my purposes. Not to mention that some of my lesson plans will require that I wear other outfits specific to the lesson at hand. Besides which, there are no official rules about what instructors should wear when teaching." she added a little defensively.

"Do you mean, to wear various outfits, for the assuming a character for obtaining confidences?" Teren asked confused.

"Not just that, I want to address the logic of and theory of fashion and wardrobe. I intend to illustrate this through the use the shrouds my people used to wear into battle, and how accessories tell much more about a person than questions and answers alone. Aspects of wardrobe are also vital for the purpose of teaching invisibility."

"Invisibility?" Teren asked skeptically.

"It's a much simpler tactic, than you are assuming Teren," Inan began.

"He's right, in this case, invisibility is mostly about blending into your surroundings, and of course stealth techniques, anything else can only be achieved with magic." Marie finished.

Teren chuckled at this, and Inan and Marie shared a knowing glance. Once they had collectively realized that magic wasn't "real" to the people of Valdemar, they were both more conscious of instances like this. Teren had thought they were making a joke, it was a point of annoyance for both of them, but it couldn't be helped.

"You're right there are no exact rules about what an instructor should wear while teaching. I suppose it was never worked out since most of the teachers are Heralds, Healers, or Bards with our own impressive uniform. Dressing in the uniform is intended to give everyone an equal footing, but for these specific lessons you've planned, I don't think it would hurt anything to wear something different if it helps you illustrate a particular point." Teren said conceding to her motives.

"Now then, have you come to any conclusions about how we, the rest of the staff can help lessen your academic load?" Inan redirected evenly.

In the end, it had been decided that almost all of the tactical defense and offense training would continue to be handled by Herald Alberich and his second hand instructors. Marie's general classes would focus specifically on the study of combat theory, though for her additional instructions she would broaden this to a kind of special survivalist training that would be interdisciplinary. However only full Heralds whom had already completed their internships would be eligible for these extra lessons.

Subjects that could be enhanced had been altered already for the new term, to take some of the load off of Marie. Among these, Geography was now including a partial curriculum on local edible plant life, Artificers were also holding special lessons open to the Herald's Collegium to learn basic tool construction, from both found objects and local raw materials.

"Before we depart, I have been asked by Kyril and the Queen to explain that they feel it is time to introduce us to your network of artisans. I think they wish to know those others whom you trust with your affairs, and theirs." Inan stated trying to make their request sound as reasonable as possible.

Marie smirked at his attempt, and looked to where Aaron was listening from his perch in the rafters. At her slight nod, he expertly scampered along the high beam to a small window. Once there he paused as if waiting for some further command.

"Alright, I will make the inquiries. Should I have them come to the Palace, or will sending word be enough?"

"They should try to come to the Palace on 'artisan business' if they use that phrase specifically we will know how to direct them." Teren explained.

Marie nodded in an unconcerned way, but made a gesture to Aaron who pushed the widow open and crawled through it like a mouse in a drain.

Teren never gave any indication that he had seen Aaron, but Inan was smirking behind his fist over the whole affair. He tried not to laugh as Teren continued,

"Also, are you still sure you want to enlist your youngest spies to co-instruct these classes? I do not question their abilities, it is just most unorthodox to enlist the help of unaffiliated children to teach Heralds and Herald trainees."

Marie and Inan both fixed Teren with a sharp look.

"This whole situation is unorthodox, in your own chronicled histories nothing like this has ever been attempted before. Personally a different approach is why I was asked to do this job, the methods I use have a purpose, I would ask you to trust in my judgement if nothing else?"

Teren was still unconvinced but the look of unwavering support Inan was giving Marie quieted some of his nerves, and he conceded to her wishes in the end.

"Besides Aaron will be there as well, and I know you have nothing against him," Marie teased with a brief smile.

Teren did admit that he liked Marie's friend Aaron quite well. The man had a familiar sense of humor that reminded him of his own mother. As quiet as Aaron was, his wit was sharp and quick and Teren enjoyed the mental sparring between them. In private Teren had often wondered why the young man had not been chosen, but then he remembered that although there were many wonderful people in the world, the makings of a Herald were special and it was possible to be truly good, and kind and live a graced life without having the makings of a Herald. In the end he had concluded that Aaron must be one of these.

What Teren didn't know was that upon his first arrival in Haven, a companion had approached him. Aaron had spoken once about it and only to Marie. The spirit had not confronted him to choose him, but to inquire about him. The answers he had given the being were honest and nothing was held back. He had confided that somewhere during that conversation the companion had decided that Aaron was best suited for a life outside the Heraldic Circle, and he had agreed.

A Herald's sense of duty had to be first to country, then to kin, but in Aaron's case this could never be so, for he had sworn his most serious vows to kin before all others. The companion that had sought him out seemed to understand that while Aaron may have had the makings of a Herald, that ultimately it wasn't the right life for him.

Marie hadn't been surprised by Aaron's encounter, nor was she surprised that he had turned it down in a way. Without taking him for granted, she too understand what the Companion had seen in him and for him, and felt honored to be his friend.

When the meeting was over, Marie contemplated her options. She could easily spend the whole day sending out summons to the network, but she wanted to wait until Vorn came back to her with his latest report. Undecided, she sat in a wide seat, wooden chair near one of the large windows and pulled out her new journal.

The clan histories had become too large to continuously keep rebinding the pages. Instead she had gone to a great amount of trouble to find a piece of hide thick enough to make another newer version of the previous journal. She kept them strapped together by the same buckle so that the back cover of the first was the front cover of the second. This way she was assured to never loose them. The final rebinding had been very tricky, and had required making a pocket-like cover for the older journal while still allowing unhindered access to the second.

Lounging sideways and at an angle in the chair, with her back to the door, Marie reread her father's entries from as far back as twenty-five years ago. His amazingly small handwriting was still legible and dark against the pale yellow waxed hide. The ink he had used hadn't faded at all over the years, much to his daughter's relief.

Her father had expressed the same doubt and overwhelming pressure she was now faced with. It was not a new feeling by any stretch of the imagination. Every time she had taken on a new pupil whether here in Haven or in the desert of her far away home she had felt a resurgence of fear for their fate. Being a war general meant knowing that not everyone would survive. What was worse than that truth, was knowing that if they did die that it might be because she hadn't taught them well enough.

It was the same for Alberich. Every time the Death Bell tolled like a ghost from a bell-less ruined tower, he felt that somehow he could have done more, and that he had failed them. There wasn't anything the others could do for him because as twisted as the thoughts were, they were in at least part, the truth. Never to the guilt ridden extent that he felt them to be, but there was truth in the idea that there was always something else they could have learned. However learning everything there was to know would never guarantee the saving of lives.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there drawing comfort from the personal thoughts of her father. As she read she could hear his voice as if he were sitting next to her speaking his thoughts aloud to her. After all that had befallen her, both sad and joyous, she still missed him like a part of her had disappeared never to return. Feeling a dull ache in her heart made her pause in her study to take a few slow breaths.

That's when she heard it. A small, barely noticeable sound from just inside the door.

The air seemed mustier than it had been a moment ago, and she could deftly smell the charred cinder smell that came from the coal cellars near the Palace kitchen. Under the ashen coal smell was the unmistakable waft of sweet grass that grew only in Companion's Field. Dissecting the scents in the room further she could pick up the cinnamon flakes that Mero used on his pastries. Breakfast was still thirty minutes shy of being served, so it had to be a cook's helper or a kitchen hand. She mentally recalled the names on the roster this morning and half smiled when she realized who it must be.

"Hello Skif." she greeted calmly.

Skif stared at her back, he knew that he shouldn't have been surprised, but she hadn't twisted around to see the door and he wasn't deep enough into the room to show up as a reflection in the window glass.

"How'da know it was me?"

"Smell."

"But I took a bath!"

"I didn't say I was smelling you, but I could smell where you have been." she began

Now she did get up from the chair and walked casually to her desk and slid her father's journal safely into a locked compartment under the table top before continuing.

"Jeri let it mention that you prefer to ride with Cymry in the early morning. Sweet grass is the most fragrant at this time, and no doubt your boots are covered in the dew water that collects on it's long stalks. You are also on the roster as a kitchen hand this month, which explains the pungent smell of coal dust mixed with the spicy cinnamon flakes that Mero sprinkles on his Breakfast pastries. Not to mention that there are very few people among trainees and Heralds alike that have the stealth skills necessary to open a door like that without being heard." she concluded soberly.

Crossing her arms over her chest but wearing an amused smile she leaned against the girth of the desk and took him in as he digested her analysis.

"Alright, ye got me."

"What can I help you with?" she asked not stirring from her current position.

Her eyes furrowed a little when his posture instantly changed from a playful trickster, to that of a nervous boy. Whether he was conscience of it or not, he had shifted from a straight position on the sturdy balls of his feet, to a slouched timid stance. Marie was taken for a moment by the reveal of insecurity he was displaying, but let him get his words out in his own time.

"Well I has things t' say n' I'm sorey fer not say'n em before." he almost stammered.

"You mean to say, 'you _have_ things to say'?" she corrected.

She knew that Skif had been tutored in speech and language but that he still struggled with proper grammar and diction. She couldn't blame him, Valdemarian was not a simple language, it was laced with tricky rules that were bound to trip up the new scholar. Only constant practice would help him in that regard.

"Yes ma'am."

Now she did straighten in order to get his full attention before saying,

"Marie. Whether we're in classes or talking as we are now, I am just another Herald and my name will do."

Skif nodded and she gestured for him to pull up a chair nearer to her desk.

"Before you begin, I need to say something specifically to you, if you don't mind? I understand that you have a certain penchant to lift items from your classmates and others. I know it to be for what it is, a laugh, but you must listen to me carefully now. Things in my possession, both in this room and on my person, are not to be trifled with. I carry dangerous and sensitive materials with me at all times, and I ask that you never play around with that. Do we have an understanding?"

Her face was devoid of any of the softness that had been there only seconds ago, and her tone was an icy nail in Skif's mind that showcased her seriousness.

Numbly he found himself nodding, and just like that her hard features were once again soft and calm.

Jeri had confided to Skif that while Marie was one of her closest friends, despite the large gap in their ages, Jeri had no illusions about her friend either. Skif had walked away from that particular conversation both highly respectful of Marie's abilities and also very intimidated. Keren had a similar, although not as intense, effect on the young trainee. However where Keren was like a surrogate aunt to Skif, it was clear that Marie was destined to be the commander he never wanted to disappoint. As harsh as that reality was in light that she was a Herald, he supposed they were all lucky that she was on their side.

But that wasn't why he was here now.

Skif looked down at his hands as he tried to formulate his next words.

"Since that scuffle in Hell's Gate..."he paused,

"You see Jeri and I, well we've been talking and-"

"Let me guess, she may have intimated my personal connection to the weapons-master?"

At the small boy's expression, she could easily guess why he was here.

"You don't owe me any sort of apology for what happened to him. As I understand it, if he hadn't been there you may not have lived through the night. Correct? It had to done, it was the right course of action, and that's all that matters. We are Heralds, we understand the stakes and the consequences of our actions and inactions. If you feel you need to apologize further, you may, but I do not require such an apology from you."

"I just- he says I can learn so much from you, and I didn't want to get off on the wrong foot, you know?" he muttered still shame faced.

"Nonsense, now is that all?"

Now Skif was smiling gingerly, and the confidence was beginning to show in his body language again.

"Good, now off with you. I'll see you tomorrow in class."

As Skif slipped out the door, Inan slipped gracefully back in, this time with two hot bowls of porridge and eggs. He sat in the chair that Skif has vacated and handed her one of the trenchers. From his front pocket he produced a spoon for her which she accepted with a smile. In return she reached into her satchel for one of the apples and handed it to him.

"Thanks. So why are you still huddled up in here while the rest of us are in the Hall for breakfast?" he ventured.

"Was reading some of Father's training entries, before the would-be apology." she said, knowing full well that he had overheard at least the last half of her conversation with Skif.

"Yes, can't have that. People might think you're nice." he half mocked.

"You wound me!" she scoffed sarcastically, taking a bite of eggs.

They sat there in a comfortable silence each lost in the silence and the unique comfort of warm food.

"You know, even after living here so long, I still feel like each dish of warm food is a gift." Inan said softly, almost innocently.

"I feel that way, but about other things."

"Like what?"

"Hot water on demand." Marie sighed.

"Oh don't get me started, when I first got here I would have slept in those tubs if they let me." Inan managed a strained laugh, but his eyes revealed his regret.

Whenever Inan let down the blockades that best described his personal walls, he felt as though he was constantly saying something that Marie might interpret as a betrayal. He knew how she had felt when she had first arrived at the Collgium. He knew that given the circumstances it must have been very hard to cope with his choice not to return to the desert and their father.

"I don't want you to feel bad about that, what's done is done, and now that I've gotten some distance on that anger I can see that if things hadn't played out exactly as they have I wouldn't be the way I am. I'll never be grateful for your choices, but I cannot deny the person I am now because of their effect on my life. So please don't feel so timid on that or any subject. In some ways I am happy that you weren't in danger like the rest of us."

She stopped then, realizing that she had started rambling, and not wanting to make him feel worse she dug into her porridge a little more while trying not to look at him.

Inan blinked a few times at her, there were many things he had never expected her to bring up, and that was at the top of the list. Slowly he went back to his food, before taking a chance on her current state of mind.

"When Ivorn went...Did he-" Inan faltered, finding it nearly impossible to ask after his father's fate.

Marie lowered her spoon back into her bowl and stared at a small fleck of lint that was stark brown against his white uniform. Her eyes became slightly unfocused as she remembered the day. For a few precious moments all she could focus on was her own steady breathing, before she raised her eyes to Inan's inquisitive face.

"No, he didn't suffer."

Inan longed to ask for more details, but the expression on Marie's face was too stricken to push the matter any further. Instead he nodded his head and returned his gaze back to his food.

Marie continued to eat the last of her porridge, even though all the flavor had died on her tongue at Inan's question. Feeling an overwhelming need to change the subject and break the now awkward tension in the room she launched into an area of discussion they had been equally willing to avoid.

"I've been talking to several of the older bards, historians, and Herald-Chronicler Myste, about how magic died in Valdemar." she stated, watching him closely to gage his reaction.

Inan sighed. It was all the reaction Marie needed.

"I take it from your reaction that you experienced similar findings in your research?"

"Well, if by that you mean that a topic discussed at great length one day, is partially forgotten the next?" he jeered scathingly.

"Yes. That. Besides which, why aren't we affected to the same degree?"

"I've wondered that myself, and I remembered a conversation I had with one of Red's cousins once during holiday. He told me of a traveling magician, nothing fancy or dangerous, just hand tricks enhanced with a little mage light for flare. Apparently he tried to take his business from Hardorn into Valdemar but was never able to spend more than a few hours here. He said there was a 'feeling' about this place that seemed to chase him out, every time he tried."

Marie digested this.

"While he was within the borders of Valdemar, did he try to consciously not use magic?"

"Yes, but whenever he did an act, even without the use of mage lights he said he would experience an overwhelming urge to flee across the border within a night after. That got me thinking about magic users verses magical beings."Inan continued.

"From what you've suggested, the logical conclusion is that whatever keeps the people from remembering magic also seems to keep magic users out!" Marie exclaimed.

"It doesn't answer why Heralds seem to be immune to the 'feeling', but not the memory loss." Inan pointed out.

"Nor does it explain why you and I, and nearly all of my Eyes remember magic as real." Marie added.

"Nearly all?"

"Aaron said that before he was reunited with Vorn and I, that he couldn't recall for certain whether our childhood encounter with the mage-made wyrsa had happened or if he had dreamed it." she recounted solemnly.

Inan left out a long whistle, but confusion was written all over his features.

"But I've been here at least ten years, and you said he only arrived six years ago? Why was he affected so differently than I?" Inan wondered aloud.

"That I don't know, but I've been writing all of this down so if I start to forget I can remind myself, I promise to do you the kindness of reminding you should your memories waiver. It's not just you and I that have distinct memories of magic, Alberich has a few, although all of them are from his life in Karse. Maybe..." she drifted off.

"It's not much to go on, but we should try to keep researching and listening for others who know and remember as we do." Inan asserted.

A tentative plan in place, Inan gathered up the dishes and made his platitudes before departing for the library.

The soft drizzle of the morning had given way to dark low clouds and steady rain. Marie watched from an alcove window on the back stair as the water created a series of puddles that soon would become small ponds.

Wrapping her oiled cloak around her shoulders, cinching the hood tightly around her head, and tucked her satchel high on her shoulder before she braved the downpour. Darting between the deep eaves along the smaller buildings she was able to stay out of the worst of it until she had passed the guards gate and was trudging down the gravel road that led directly into Haven.

Once in the city, proper, she was bustled and bumped as people on all sides kept their head down to keep the water off the back of the shirts. She avoided the worst of the crowds by tucking close to the buildings. Unfortunately this meant she had to walk under the great down spouts, it was like hiking behind waterfalls, but it kept her out of the chaos in the roadway.

Finally she reached the glossy red door of The Smithery Shop and shook the excess rain from her cloak before entering. It wouldn't do to leave a wet stain on Herb Doloven's floor.

Despite the awful turn in the weather, the shop was full of its usual business, and Marie exchanged welcome greetings with the clerks she knew and one of the more amiable unaffiliated students she's seen around the Collegia.

Nathen was the seventh son of a country-bred nobleman. He wasn't in line to inherit much of anything except a small country estate east of Lake Evendim. Not to mention that he would have to be married a year before he could even plan to move in. So his parents had sent him to court in the hopes that he could carve himself a place in the world. Upon arriving, he had soon learned that his humble background and soft mannerisms were not an asset to the movers and shakers at Court. He wasn't interested in maneuvering politics or gossip, and he didn't possess any power to speak of, so largely he was ignored by the other players.

This meant that he kept his head in his books and was often found sitting under a window somewhere reading, or conversing with the other serious minded students within the Collegium. Marie had often come across him, in the gardens on warmer days. He always asked how she was, and when there was time they would discuss books and exchange personal niceties.

"Why are you out in this, when you could be hauled up with a book somewhere warm?" she asked socially.

"I'm bored with the gossip fodder at Court, and needed some time out of the Palace." he said while examining the rapier he was buying as the clerk searched for an appropriate case.

"Court getting on your nerves lately?"

Nathen nodded absently.

"Everyone seems to have the best and brightest theory on Lord Carthwright's murder. Not that any of them cared about him at all, they just want to be seen as clever, it's disrespectful, and I don't feel inclined to play into the intrigue game."

Herb had come out from behind the back room curtain and waived to her. Pausing him with a signal, she turned back to Nathen as he was readying to leave.

"Have you any plans after dinner?" she asked driven by an sudden impulse.

"I never have after dinner plans, m'Lady." he chuckled.

"The usual place?" she suggested, hoping he would pick up on her meaning.

He lifted his eyebrow but nodded,

"Until then." he said cordially with a small respectful salute.

Marie waited until the shop was empty of customers before engaging the owner. One significant look to Doloven, and the clerk rushed to lock the door and close the curtain across the display window. When the shop was secure, he drew back the curtain behind the counter to allow Hyden Archer and two elderly gentlemen to step through. The pair of greying men were twin brothers, Fenden and Merish, both specialized in intricate metal work and fasteners. Behind them Aaron was standing guard by the back door.

"Doloven, thank you for offering us the use of your shop." Master Archer intoned.

"Not at all, this meeting affects me too, and it is by far the easiest to secure." he returned.

"I'm sorry for the nature of this summons, however the Queen has requested an introduction with our artisan resources. As you four are the only ones I've had direct contact with since my arrival, I must ask you to do some of the inquiries to the other artists. If they are still interested in running messages, you may tell them that the Heraldic Circle now fully supports their operations. "

"How are we to introduce ourselves to Queen Selenay?" one of the elderly jewelers asked.

"Feden, all those who wish to stay, in the loop must go individually to the Palace. When asked you must use the phrase 'artisan business' to be recognized at an agent of the network. Once admitted you will be put under the Truth Spell, this is not my requirement but a safeguard of the Monarch's Own, I hope you understand."

"Times have grown darker, m'Lady, given the circumstances surrounding Carthwright's demise I wouldn't expect less." Merish replied soothingly.

"There will be other things to consider but, until we are certain who is in and who is out, they cannot be discussed here." Marie said finally.

"Understood." came the unanimous response, and as they had come the three men exited through the back of the shop.

Marie waited until Doloven had pulled back the curtain in front, and with her face concealed under her cloak hood Marie made her way back to the Palace Gate.

...

The rain was still falling hard when Nathen made the lonely trek up the twisting back stair to the so called 'usual place'. It wasn't so much a place as a junction of hallways with a built in stone bench off to one side covered in a thick blue cushion. It was Nathen's favorite reading nook, and though it was supremely comfortable he never saw another sitting there. Marie had called it the usual place, because it was where she most happened upon him.

He was still early for his meeting, and sat gingerly across the cushion, only to give a small shriek when he heard something hiss at him from over his head. Startled he looked up and saw the Herald in question reaching down from a high central beam.

"What the-?" he began.

"No time to get into it, give me your arm." she said authoritatively.

Not knowing how else to handle the situation Nathen gave a small jump from the edge of the seat he was now standing on and was surprised when he felt himself being hauled upwards to her location.

Nathen was not a very big young man, at fifteen he was mostly bone with very little muscle or heft to speak of. Once he was up, he grappled his way to a tentative sitting position along the truss of the ceiling.

"Okay, now I want you to pivot and walk to the wall in front of you." Marie instructed.

Nathen looked along the beam to the wall and noticed a dark shadowy patch that seemed to be missing some stones. Below he saw the eight foot drop he would suffer if he lost his balance. Gulping a little he focused on the wall and stood on shaky legs. Still looking ahead and not down, he made his way carefully to the far wall. As he neared he could plainly see that stones were indeed missing from the surface and that an alcove existed beyond the stone work. He turned his head to ask Marie something and spooked when he saw that she was less than a finger's length behind him. He would have tumbled off the beam had she not shot out her arm to help steady him.

"Don't look anywhere but that alcove in front of you, on the other side is the Herald's library. As a blue, it would be hard to explain your presence there, but it really is the safest place to talk."

Nathen accepted the logic of this, even though he was sure that there were easier ways of getting him into the Library, say a note from the Dean?

He regained his confidence and took the last steps to reach the wall. He climbed carefully through the stonework and sat against a low bookshelf as Marie waddled through. He watched her replace the stones, and followed her to a study corner in the far back of the book stacks. The thin layer of dust covering a small table set between two cushioned chairs intimated that they were in a part of the room that few ventured to. This suspicion was confirmed when Nathen sat in one of the chairs and coughed at the cloud of dust motes that puffed into the air in his wake. Overhead the rain could be heard pounding on the clay tiles of the roof that lay over the thatch.

Marie looked at Nathen, and felt it only polite to be the one to begin since she'd gone through all that trouble of maneuvering him to a secure spot.

"I know that all of this seems highly irregular,"

"A bit, yes" he answered half in annoyance and half in mirth.

"I have been thinking of that first conversation we had, about how you didn't know where your life was taking you, but you didn't believe that the tactics of Court were right for you."

Nathen nodded, remembering the discussion. It was the first time someone had taken any sort of interest in him, and he had been inclined to talk too much, although she had never said so.

"You may not agree or be interested in the political maneuvers, but you do understand them. You said that after watching your three eldest brothers fight over inheritance rights in your own family, it was easier to figure out the motivations of others if you just listened to them talk long enough.

"Is that what bores you about Court, that no one tells the truth, that they are all out to further their own agendas?" she asked.

Nathen thought about it seriously for a few moments.

"Yes, I suppose it is. I mean, everyone I meet at Court is interested in me until they find out that I'll never play the game to their level. Once they know I'm not a political equal somehow the masks come off, and I can see them all for who and what they really are. They are all the same! Greedy, power hungry, and spiteful. It's about who they use and take advantage of to complete their own selfish goals.

"I grew up revering Court, as the fair minded intellectuals of the realm, and Heralds as the heroic adventurers. Now I'm here, and I wish I could go back to that ignorance. Don't misunderstand me, I still believe in the Heralds of the realm, but how can the good of the realm prevail when Court is filled with such, such- Snakes!" he hissed.

Marie took in his rant with hope in her heart.

"What if you helped us, Heralds I mean, to stay ahead of the game?" she offered.

"How?"

Marie had been analyzing every nuance of his behavior for signs of deception. Given the delicate nature of this experiment she needed to be absolutely certain of his character. She had even cast a truth telling spell. It didn't compel one to tell the truth, it just covered a truthful person in a faith bluish tinge of light that only the caster and third party observer could see. Nathen could not see the apparition around his head and shoulders even though Marie could.

"Heralds are responsible for a lot within this kingdom, and there are not enough of us available to be stationed everywhere in the hope of learning something valuable. In this case we require friends who can monitor social scenes where we would be unwelcome.

I'm sure you've realized that there are groups at Court which are not fond of Heralds?" she said carefully.

"I have." he said softly.

"Power is a force that corrupts those who are weak willed and greedy. Unfortunately power can only be satisfied by the pursuit of more power, and this often leads to immoral behavior and questionable judgement."

"I would agree with you, but don't the Heralds wield power? And the Queen surely she has power."

"I've come to understand that power is an illusion, a kind of ghost that can never be caught. At least not the kind of power that the courtiers and nobility vie for. I would say instead that we Heralds, the Queen included, have responsibilities and duty to our kingdom and citizenry. We keep the peace and help things run smoothly and when needed fight in battles because we are first and foremost servants to all of Valdemar. The power you envision we have in our strength and numbers isn't one hundred percent real."

"The major players at Court and their various supporters across the kingdom seem to think it very real, but it's complicated."

Nathen seemed to be having a hard time coming up with the right words.

"You mean because they are either threatened by us or consider themselves above us?" Marie supplied.

Nathen nodded.

"Yes, it is a puzzle. Unfortunately those Heralds who are stationed at the Palace have more vital activities to pay attention to, and most of the time it becomes a game of guess as to which courtiers are for or against Heralds and why. That's where I was hoping you could assist us."

"You want me to spy?"

"Not really, I want you to do what you've always done. Watch, listen, analyze. The only difference is that I would like you to confide your observations formally and regularly to either myself or to another Herald I would like to introduce you to. Does this sound like something you can do?"

"And this will help you do your jobs?"

"Most ardently. There are some things that even Heralds cannot do without help."

...

Jeri was looking around the hall, trying to watch the doors for any sign of Marie. Keren, who was a few spaces down from the young woman gently lent behind Skif and Derek to say,

"She's probably preparing for her first lesson. When my twin first began teaching he was a nervous wreck." she confided.

Jeri nodded glumly. To take her mind off Marie's absence she picked up the card she had found tucked under her door this morning.

The students whom had gained competency in language, history, and rudimentary weapon skills had found similar notes under their doors too; Indicating an altered class schedule that incorporated a new 'Theory' class and room assignment.

The Heralds had been personally handed summons from younger trainees that were all written by Elcarth and bore his signature alongside Selenay's. The summons decreed the need for discretion in all matters concerning what would be discussed at the assigned meeting room later that evening.

The Lord Marshal Herald, Hedric, had been very specific when he had presented his opinion to the Queen and her other Herald council. What Marie was attempting was too important to leave in the hands of pages. Pages nominally in control of the lords they served, or their families served. Further no one was to speak of anything they knew about Marie's methods or endeavours before the meeting gathered.

It had been difficult for Teren not to let anything slip to Keren, but he agreed with Elcarth that too often secret matters had been carelessly shared among Heralds. No one in particular was to be blamed for this, they were only human, and all humans made mistakes.

...

Marie wasn't sure how this first lesson was going to unfold. It was important that she have the trainees before the Heralds, if for no other reason than to make them contemplate the gravity of their roles as would-be Heralds while at their other lessons.

Changing the perception of an entire community would take small and decisive steps.

She could hear the slightly frantic steps of students milling around the hallways, trying to gather at her door early to show their excitement or earnest for their studies.

The door, as some of the earliest students had discovered, was locked. Inside the classroom, above the heavy door frame, Alia was dangling high up in the shadows of the ceiling from the central wood girder. At Marie's command it would be the smaller girl who would drop down to lift the latch and then scramble back up to her hiding place.

On the other side, the alcove at the end of the corridor was full of students, but not until Dirk and Kris had joined the confused crowd did Sherrill, who was leaning against the wall hear the audible 'snap' of the lock hinge open.

She immediately pulled hard on the handle and the door swung deceptively easy and opened to reveal a completely bare room. The only furnishings were two large wardrobes against one wall. Dirk was one of the first to enter the room behind Sherrill, because of his position in the room he could see a nondescript figure sitting on the large desk in the next room through the archway.

He began to walk confidently in that direction until two things happened almost at once.

Through the high archway leading to the second room, Dirk spotted a second figure tucked sloppily behind and to the side of the desk.

The person on the floor had Marie's red hair, and was wearing Whites!

Dirk spun on his heal to tell the rest, when the door that had opened so freely for them a minute ago, slammed shut with a firm snap of the lock bolt. He grabbed Sherrill and Kris by the arm as he moved back towards the door and experimentally pulled.

It didn't move an inch.

The others, although they didn't know Dirk very well, saw the sudden change in his demeanor and followed him back towards the door. The most curious thing in their minds, was that when the door slammed shut no one had been standing close enough to manage it themselves. Nor was there any detectable draft that could have moved it.

Skif came to stand by Sherrill who was looking intently at Dirk's face.

Dirk was trying to communicate through clumsy hand signals to Kris, but Kris just looked more confused than before. Giving up Dirk clutched at his head to be as close to his friend's ear as possible.

"Danger, Marie is injured. On the floor." he murmured.

Skif and Sherrill could get the message by watching his lips move as he spoke to Kris.

Apprehension was spreading on the faces of the other upperclassmen, and a few had quietly and efficiently pulled small objects from their school bags that could be used as weapons.

One girl, whom Dirk couldn't remember the name of, had taken the kingdom flag from over the mantle and was bunching it's length in her hands as one would in preparation to throw a distraction cloth in front of an enemy.

Dirk, and Kris always had at least one blade on them, and Skif of course had his wrist worn throwing daggers. The others were finding their own makeshift weapons from the junk lying around the room.

Sherrill felt like the odd one out, all she had was her book bag. However she realized that it had a good strong strap, and she had gained arm strength in the year that she had been here. Quietly she took some of her ink pots out and replaced them with a heavier book of Skif's for added weight. If it came to that she could lobby it like a chain mace.

As a stealthy group, with the smaller more agile people in front they inched towards the archway. Skif was the one to poke his head around the pillar. He gave a hand sign that two people were seen, just like Dirk had described.

The mob turned the corner in a quick rush to take on the unfriendly figure, but when they charged mere seconds later the figure was gone. The Herald was still on the floor next to the desk facing away from them, but they would be vulnerable to attack if they all rushed to her side.

Skif's attention was not on Marie's prone form. He was looking deeply into the inky shadows above them. Sherrill had followed his gaze, and out of an instinct she had never felt, she swung her book laden bag around her body and directly overhead, releasing it into the rafters. The bag disappeared from view, but there was no indication that it hit anything.

SLAM!

Every student jumped when the book bag came thundering down upon the table in the far corner to the far left of their gathering.

As five of the larger students kept their rapt attention on the hidden ceiling, and it's occupant or occupants, Derek had made slow but steady progress toward Marie who was still lying motionless on the floor. Never taking his eyes off his surroundings, just like she'd taught him, he turned her over with a careful nudge of his knee as he knelt.

With one quick glance he sprang away from the body on the floor and back to the relative safety of the group with a sharp,

"That's not Marie!"

"What?" Dirk exclaimed.

"The girl on the floor, that's not her"

Later Dirk would understand that his mistake had been to let his surprise overtake his concentration.

As he looked to where the body on the floor had lain, he felt something wrap itself around his middle and as the sensation of being pulled impossibly toward the ceiling shocked him. The red haired body on the floor was no longer there.

Panicked cries erupted from the crowd of students who watched as both Dirk and Kris were spirited away into the rafters.

Behind them in the first room the door latch was undone and the remaining students bolted for the door. When they poured into the first room both Heralds Inan and Teren were standing on either side of the door, smiling and looking rather smug.

This break in their collective panic caused everyone to still and breathe an unconscious sigh of relief.

"It was an exercise." Sherrill breathed.

"Of course. We're not in the habit of placing our trainees in danger. If the threat had been real, what do you suppose would have happened?" Teren asked the group.

For a moment it seemed as though no one had the answer, until Derek spoke up,

"Our companions would have sounded the alarm if no one could mind-call to another Herald for help, and you would have been here with the guard to break the door down."

"Something like that" Inan chuckled.

"Now that the exercise has achieved it's purpose, you may all return to that second room." Teren said smiling before the pair of Heralds left, closing the door gently behind them.

Sherrill walked over to the massive frame and pulled on the handle. Just like before, the door swung freely outward without a single creek in the hinge.

Turning to her classmates, she shrugged,

"Just checking."

Feeling somewhat foolish for not figuring out the game sooner, the students returned to the other room and saw first that Kris and Dirk were sitting behind desks that were placed in a small semi circle around the larger desk. They hadn't been ten feet away, yet there had been no sound of moving furniture, it seemed almost like magic.

Marie was sitting upon the largest desk in a rather unprofessional fashion. Her legs were crossed and her feet tucked under the opposite knee. Her hands steepled under her chin, and a purposeful and calculating expression was firmly in place. Her eyes hard and cold as she anticipated the incoming group of students.

This gaze did not change as the students chose their seats.

She was also not wearing the typical uniform of Herald's Whites. Derek had noticed that particular detail right from the start. He had also noted that her outfit was entirely foreign from anything he had seen her wear before. The fabric was black or dark smoke colored and the cut was well fitted to her body, and it hung slightly loose around the ankles. She wore no shoes, but her feet had been rubbed in a greasy grey oil to hide the white of her skin. Her brow and hair were covered in a dark shroud that twisted around her nape and draped down her back.

Marie couldn't show it yet, but she smiled inside when she saw the wheels of evaluation turning in her youngest student's head. This ability to see to the heart of matters beyond his experience and years, had been why Marie had defended her choice to include Derek in her classes.

With only a few exceptions, Derek and Skif being included, the only trainee students she would ever teach were the upperclassmen, those who were within a few years of getting their whites. Additionally each of these students had to be approved by Alberich, and deemed "mature" enough to handle the complex subject manner.

Her intense scrutiny didn't seem to bother Derek in the slightest, nor did it openly phase Skif, who had an annoyingly wide grin on his face.

Once Dirk and Kris had seen who was hiding in the rafters, their apprehension and panic had melted like sun on morning frost. Now they sat in deep contemplation of their introduction to Marie's methods.

The others were squirming a little under her sharp eye, and she let them off as she looked above them and snapped her fingers once.

Alia and Aaron's appearance made the students start.

Those that had concluded that their teacher had recruited help with this drill, had been half expecting to see people climb down out of the rafters by the way Marie's stare had indicated a presence above them. Again, they felt like rabbits caught in an obvious trap.

Alia and Aaron pushed aside their own dust and sand colored shrouds and were immediately visible on either sides of Marie, though tucked flat against the long wall behind her.

Another body came into view then, a small slender redhead that closely resembled Marie crawled out from behind the desk, wearing Marie's Whites. She looked up at the collected students with a cheeky grin that rivaled Skif's. As she stood she pulled off the wig of red hair. The girl's own blond hair was the same as the girl against the wall, and as straight.

Marie waited until the wig was removed before pulling free her own dark shroud, which revealed her own hair, that had been dramatically cut short and cropped close to her skull.

Understanding was communicated in a vast sea of widened eyes and raised brows.

"_Now they are ready" _Orestes urged.

"As you can see, based on this morning's example, this is not a class taught in the traditional way." Marie began.

"These people are my friends and are approved by the Herald Circle and the Queen to be co-instructors and my attendants within these walls. This means that if they ask you to do something, they are asking on my behalf and you are to follow their instruction as though it were from my direct command.

"The two identical twins are Honey and Alia, and the gentleman to my right is my life long friend Aaron Wanderer."

Aaron took small courtly bow, and Alia and Honey curtsied to the students.

"The purpose of this class is to explore the reasons we react to different situations, how these reactions manifest in groups as opposed to the individual. This will help you understand how miscommunications have lead to larger arguments, and wars. I am here to help prepare you for war-time situations. I am also compelled to teach you to ask questions, not only of myself but of everything and everyone around you. You must always search for the reasons behind things, the smaller details that helped contribute to the situation. By discovering these finer details and facts you may be better equipped to mediate a conflict, or to defend yourselves and others from dangers.

"Herald Alberich teaches you the practical realities of war, fighting and defending yourself. I am here to teach you the theory and the techniques of war beyond the battlefield." she finished eloquently.

"Now what was I trying to achieve by that demonstration?"

...

A few candle marks later, the first class left Marie's domain rather sobered by their first lesson. Even Skif, who was normally a jovial sort seemed, to the rest of the Collegium, a little somber that day, but perhaps he had caught the cold that was going around?

By lunchtime, all the upperclassmen and a smattering of younger students had become acquainted with Marie's style of teaching.

Jeri was still too young, although she was an accomplished fighter, to be included in Marie's lessons. Next year it was widely agreed that she would be ready, but not yet. This didn't stop her from trying to get her friends to relay what it was like for them; all throughout the meal.

However this tactic didn't get her as far as she had hoped. It wasn't that the students were being tight lipped as a rule, it was that they couldn't think of the correct way to accurately describe the lesson. Jeri admitted defeat when the ninth girl was asked and all she got out of her was,

"Alberich works our muscles, Marie works our brains."

Meanwhile Dirk was on the training pitch battling Alberich with the blunt end of his practice sword. Dirk had even managed to strike a killing blow, but this single victory was eventually out shined by the overwhelming number of kills that the weaponsmaster had delivered to his exhausted frame.

Alberich had expected more from his pupil. He himself was only just able to return to his lessons, and was not yet able to put his usual effort into his teachings.

"You fought weakly where yesterday you were strong." Alberich barked at the end of the lesson.

Dirk nodded from his bent position, trying avidly to catch his breath.

"My mind is elsewhere today."

"What can be so important that you let your guard down?" his teacher mocked.

Dirk didn't often ask questions of his instructor's personal lives, and with Alberich never. However Marie's lesson about seeing behind the initial appearance had struck a heavy cord in him. He hadn't realized how pertinent it was to his everyday life until he contemplated the weaponsmaster. Before he could check himself he heard himself say,

"It's harder on you than anyone else, isn't it? You train us to be the sword of justice, the living arms and hearts of wrath. When the Death Bell rings, you aren't just loosing a Herald, a friend, you feel like you've failed, don't you?"

Silence.

Dirk felt his face flame a fraction and his heart still. What had possessed him to say such a thing? He kept waiting to hear a rebuke, a scoff, something...anything.

Alberich was measuring young Dirk, although he knew that the man before him was more insightful than his peers, this was an unexpected statement.

He considered for a moment brushing it off, but the comment was not meant to hurt, only inquire a realization that few had ever given in regard to him.

He walked to where Dirk was half squatting half standing on shaky tired legs, he thrust a hand under Dirk's arm and guided the man to a hay bale and handed him a cup of water and a towel. The younger man accepted both with a grateful nod and made use of them.

Finally when Dirk was no longer heaving, and his color had dimmed to a normal less embarrassed pink, Alberich answered him.

"It is similar to failure, what I feel. I regret not teaching them more, not pushing them to be better. It is irrational this thought. Many times they are dead because they were facing unbeatable odds, that no man or woman, even I could not escape from. It does not stop the self doubt, nothing will. But no I am not loosing a peer, or a friend. It is like I am loosing my child." he said slowly.

"I train you, most of you from the first moment of holding a sword or bow. Though many fear or dislike my lessons, respect begins there. Respect grows into trust, trust has always been hard for Valdemarians."

"Because you are from Karse?" Dirk asked the obvious question.

"Yes, and I was trainer of weapons for their soldiers too. There is much blind trust in people because they were born on the right side, even if their motives work against us. Many hate me, distrust me even though I am a Herald. Blind trust equals blind decisions."

This statement made Dirk wince a little. Marie's lesson this morning had been about just that notion. Blind trust. They were all guilty of giving in to the trap of factors and details that appeared to be one thing, but were actually another. Blind trust was dangerous indeed.

"Heralds are different. We are sisters and brothers, alike, the same. As a kind of child to father bond is made between my students and I, I will say that no parent was ever meant to outlive their child." Alberich murmured.

Dirk nodded and the two sat in the peaceful quiet of the afternoon.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One: Words and Intentions

(Meanwhile in Karse)

Maedra paused in her morning chores when an unexpected ripple ran up her spine. The sun was not yet up but it was already very warm out.

The sky was clouded with gray milky fog, that made the sun playing beneath the horizon glow like ghosts in the dappled light.

It vaguely reminded her of a life she had given up in her childhood, a time and place that lived now only in her dreams. Like a wraith passing into the next world, her mind conjured an echo of a hundred drums calling down the thunder from the sky on a summer's night. Momentarily Maedra closed her eyes trying to grasp the faint strands of her memory before they disappeared again. However, the sharp piercing fire behind her eyelids announced the cresting of the morning sun over the high wall like a trumpet pushing her back to her chores.

Lazily she looked around the gray stone courtyard that was nestled beneath the ramparts surrounding the white and gold towers that housed the sun-mages. There were three towers made of a golden yellow stone. The surface of this stone had been carved to show a vague leafy vine design that covered each tower. The vines culminated at the top of the eave to create a braid that lined the smooth white marble mosaic domes that shone brightly like lanterns on even the most clouded days.

As elegant and majestic as these large pillars of secrecy and mysticism were, built to represent the looming and ultimate power of Vkandis Sun Lord, their majesty had been twisted by the aging sun mages left over from a generation of power hungry deceivers.

Maedra could only imagine what went on inside as her duties never allowed her entrance.

No, her life was sequestered to the surrounding ramparts and high walls that separated the city from the religious center. The hard fire forged stone walls were rather un-hansom but they had enough fortitude to withstand one hundred thousand men, and even heavy catapult attacks were not enough to penetrate their girth.

Although Maedra lived a delicate existence so close to the much feared sun-priests, she felt secure against the hardships of the outside world living behind these impressive structures. Living with this kind of security it wasn't often that her senses alerted her to possible dangers, but the second harsh shudder that coursed through her body made her wary. Looking around the courtyard she could neither see nor sense anything of any obvious threat. Shrugging her shoulders faintly she once again bent over her heavy slop buckets and thrust one such contents over the small pen fence to the appreciative swine on the other side.

Before returning to the kitchen door that was slightly open under the side stair, something unexplained made her turn her head uneasily to the left to look at the far eastern wall. She hesitated a little when she saw a young girl standing with her back to the rising sun. Maedra didn't know her name, but thought to herself that the girl seemed almost ethereal with the way the sunlight seemed to outline her whole body in a gentle white glow. As her eyes adjusted to the aura of sun she could identify the emblems embroidered on the robes she wore as an apprentice mage.

Respectfully Maedra quickly averted her eyes and bent her head as she curtsied to the young girl before returning her attention to the kitchen where she could hear the head cook call for her.

Had Maedra been able to see the girl more closely, she would have noticed a peculiar smile on her face when she had noticed the serving woman. It was a smile that spoke of familiarity, and of acute interest, but Maedra had turned her focus to the heavy work at hand, and didn't think more of the encounter until the sun was setting and she was tucked into her bed loft for the night.

Maedra had lived and worked inside the walls of the Vkandis stronghold since she was nine. The circumstances of her transition from nomad to indentured servant were not of a pleasant nature. Upon thinking more closely on her life from then to now, as a woman of twenty three, Maedra was hard pressed to remember another instance when a Vkandis official, mage, priest, or clerk had ever come down to the watchman's post along the gate wall, at any time of day.

There were far better views of both the dawn and the city from elsewhere in the stronghold, and there were no offices or apartments that any of the sun-lords would need to access themselves on this side of the compound, and even if there were they would have sent an official messenger or personal valet.

Given all of that, why would a young priest be anywhere near the south courtyard at dawn?

And even if unofficial business did manage to create a reason to be there, why would a highborn or stationed individual like that pay any mind to a servant?

Maedra contemplated the implications as an old shadowy fear crept stealthily through her mental defenses and wrapped itself firmly around her now pounding heart.

Panic caused her eyes to drift over her roommate's quiet slumbering form on the next bunk over, and fall over a deftly carved seam in the floorboards. There was no way to see the seam by just glancing, or even closely examining the boards. You had to know exactly which wood grain line was the opening mechanism, and then you also had to know which way to push before the top panel would slide down and across, flush with the floor to reveal the opening in the floor.

She had helped craft twelve such openings in eight rooms across the religious complex over a span of ten years. Some of them were in walls and chimneys, others were camouflaged by furniture that took twenty men to move an inch, and only one other was carved in the floor like the one she was staring at right now.

Her mind was racing behind fortified mental barriers designed to throw the mages off her scent. If someone tried to push their way through her mind, she would throw images of her childhood, the memories of battle, capture, and subjugation under heavy Karse rule. These images were followed by the kind of fear that manifested in mistreated animals, and the shame of a child caught lying, and ended with extreme obedience and devotion.

It took extreme amounts of energy to present this false hedge of emotion, but it was necessary to protect the inner thoughts of a rebel figurehead.

Automatically her hands began to pull the fuller quilts from their summer storage drawer than rested beneath her bed. Methodically she gracefully rose and dressed in a long heather gray swath of skirt over a pair of trousers. Over her sleep shirt went a dark leather jerkin with laces on both sides under her arms. Maedra's hair had once been long, but some years ago she had taken to cropping it short. Easier to manage it was still a stark pale hay color, that she wrapped in a black scarf.

When her boots were laced she leaned over her roommate and shook her slightly.

Auna turned over and beheld Maedra in a foreign kind of dress. Without a question she nodded and clamped her hands over her ears, shut tight her eyes and turned over to face the side of the room towards the other bed.

Maedra waited a few moments until she was sure Auna could neither hear nor see her, and then knelt.

Crouching on hands and knees she felt in the darkness for the texture of the wood grain, and the slightly rough vein that indicated the latch compartment. Pressing firmly with all of her weight on the palm of her hand she felt the latch give under her hand. Once the trigger was released and the counter weight under the door unhooked from the latch behind the door, it was very easy to push the solid sheet of oak and warped pine down and slide it under the other boards.

She had done this so many times that she didn't even think about leaning forward head first into the hole. She knew by heart where the hand holds were inside the shaft, and how to balance with one hand and two feet while she replaced the floor door from the other side.

Descending like a spider down a wall, she was able to exert minimal effort in scaling the stone well, that was like a chimney built under the floor.

Twenty four arm lengths down she climbed, until she felt the tread polished sandstone passage under her hands. Dropping into a low squat, she hunched down into the darkened corner and waited for her eyes to fully adjust to her surroundings.

The construction of these secret scurry ways were centuries old, but many of them had been blocked off by new additions to the compound. Maedra's introduction to their existence had been little more than an accident.

When she had turned fifteen, her supervisors had decided that she was no more a threat to them than the old spaniel set to guard the chicken coops in the grass lots. However without what had been their constant under foot direction, Maedra had found herself lost in an under used corridor and had smacked a nearby wood panel in frustration, only to feel it give in a way that had peeked her interest.

Time had prevented a thorough inspection, however a few days later she had returned and found the immediate hollow passage behind it. At fifteen she was still quite small for her age, and it had been quite easy to fit between the wall panels to investigate the space beyond the wall.

The path in question had lead her down wards a whole man's height to a space the size of a proper corridor with two hands clearance above her head. A couple hundred steps further brought her straight to what appeared to be a slightly lit dead end. The light in question came from a high iron grate that was set deep into the stones, where a small trickle of watery mud sloshed through the grid like bars.

She remembered her numerous attempts to scale the high wall so she could see out of the grate. It had been tricky with the slippery clay mud covering the stones, but eventually she had managed it and had peered cautiously over the sill of the opening to see into the trio-tower arcade that separated the ramparts from the High Alter of Vkandis.

It was constructed of a light gray polished stone that reminded Maedra of an abandoned graveyard more than the highest place of honor for the Sun-God of Karse. Part of the reason for this lonely likeness were the four piles of smoldering cinders that decorated the lower tier platform of the alter. At first Maedra was puzzled as to their presence, until she saw the charred remnants of the Calliny tree.

The Calliny tree, was the hardest wood of all the native species of Karse. The bows of this dense tree were not very thick but incredibly hard and very slow to burn. They could grow up to two hundred hands high and as big as a ring of ten men with only fingers touching around. Only the best and most durable tools could saw or carve this wood, and so only the most masterful of drafters and artisans could work with it successfully.

Because a single tree could withstand the brightest and hottest of god-fires for more than a fortnight, the tree was considered holy by Vkandis and was often used in rituals.

Within the last fifty years, the sun priests had added the smaller branches to their cleansing fires to indicate a sense of holy ritual in their perverted practices.

The corruption of the sun-priests had been going on long before then, into the old days of war between Rethwellan, Karse, and Valdamar, but the burning of innocent children with gifts had been the last straw for many good souls in Karse.

Maedra shuddered a little at the memory of witnessing her first of such practices and rested her thought weary head on her arms that wrapped themselves around her knees. She kept her eyes on the long passage in front of her and waited for the dawn hour when Auna could get word to the others that she had gone.

After all this time in the service of the officers, it would be nothing to explain away her absence from her daily chores. It had been done before, with enough people making the excuses for her or inventing some errand that took her elsewhere for the day, even a captive traitor like her could disappear without notice once and a while.

In a small concession to the hilarity of the situation she couldn't stop a tiny chuckle that broke the tension inside her as she sat against the stone wall. She thought about all the people who were the most dedicated and devotional servants to Vkandis.

Not the priests or mages that pretended to follow the will of Lord of Light, no, the true believers that followed the writ of the old texts. The Walkers of the True Way, as the rebellion referred to themselves, were not so brutal towards their own people. These special and rare few among the many, saw the current Son of the Sun for what he and his constituents really were, lying tricksters.

In the rituals of Vkandis, the Son of the Sun was the only individual capable of lighting a holy beacon said to indicate the true word of Vkandis himself. The relationship between Vkandis and the Son of the Sun was the most pure connection between the Lord of Light and his Chosen One. Like the bond between King and Heir, the Son of the Sun is meant to speak the wishes and words of Vkandis, they are the hand that commands His will. However for longer than most realized the mage priests had been rigging this beacon with false lights created by hordes of mages, intent on presenting a prophet icon that could be controlled to the favor of a corrupt system.

All those who knew and spoke openly of the deception had been murdered, or exiled to the deepest parts of the desert, so deep that they had often died before any nomad clan member had found them.

There were still more military officers who had refused to do the corrupt will of the mages or priests and had suffered in similar ways.

Thus the Rebellion of True Light had been born.

True Lights, as they were called by the mages that hunted them, were widespread and organized on a level that few on the outside of the collective would have believed. Made up of primarily of clerks, and servants, it was surprisingly simple to stay under the radar of the head hunters, mostly because they were in many ways nothing special and often overlooked.

Maedra had been recruited early as a member of the desert alliance, she had been identified as a person of resources even at such a young age. Until the discovery of the old passage system in existence within the Vkandis fortress, her contribution had been embarrassingly little.

That discovery had been a kind of cosmic kick off, because not six months afterward Maedra had seen her first clan member since her capture.

Once in a purple moon, Maedra would be sent outside the battering ram to the palisade with messages from higher rank military officers or their subordinates. On such an occasion, Maedra was waiting for a written reply near the outer gate under the heavy stone crenelated archway when a walnut trickled from one of the archer manned openings and hit her on the shoulder. She had looked up expecting to see the long face of Eldon, one of the regular watchmen, but had come face to face with a silver haired Jemia, one of General Ivorn's best spies.

The woman Maedra had known throughout her young life appeared to be just another archer, it was only the eyes that she had gazed into so many times as a child that gave the older woman away.

Jemia for her part did nothing but point to the fallen walnut and grunt in a masked voice,

"You can have that one." said the rough gritty voice in the archer's window.

Maedra had stooped to pick up the nut, but when she looked back to the crenelation Jemia had disappeared with expert grace.

Once she was safely back in the kitchen watching over a slow cooked stew, she hunched a little in her chair and firmly squeezed the hull along its seams. Inside the hard husk there was no nut, but a thin skin of paper folded ten times into an impossibly small size.

In her corner of the kitchen she was often ignored, but taking no chances she turned her body into the hearth to block the paper from general view. At first glance the paper was clean, but as she held it up against the gentle glow of the hearth fire she saw the intricate fortress map highlighting the rest of the passages that she and the other true lights had been searching for since the initial discovery.

There were no other messages or news, but it was enough to know that their efforts were being watched over by a trusted guide.

Over the years, Jemia had surface only a handful of times, each time she spoke in small irrelevant phrases to accompany whatever she had the opportunity to pass to them.

It had only been in the last year that Maedra had been gifted with the news of Ivorn's passing, or that the clans had met immeasurable losses in their many confrontations with Karse's armies.

None of these events were unexpected, and though she knew that the reason for the long term delay was one of accountability, she couldn't help but suspect that some larger battlefield was at stake. While what the True Lights sought was indeed important for Karse, and all the children of Vkandis, Maedra couldn't shrug the feeling that what happened in Karse played some larger role in the lands beyond it.

Even now, when it was possible that the priests would be coming for them all in the morning, she knew somewhere deeper than sensory instinct that everything was connected to some single purpose that only time and patience could properly reveal.

...

Lord Orthallen stood alongside a long wall, partially hidden by the thick drape of an ancient tapestry. He had no choice but the wait until Lady Halle finished her gossip with Lady Kestor about the happenings and social dysfunctions of her sister's house. The old snippet had been nattering on for almost an hour, soon Lady Kestor would make an excuse to end the dreadful prattle, and then he could finally move.

The courtiers had such simple minds, so predictable, so easily manipulated. They were like strings on a lute, and he was the master player.

Deftly he slid a piece of wood panel inward and ducked slyly into a shallow tunnel and walked half hunched toward the hidden room that was at the far end of the eastern wall.

This series of tunnels dug between the stone faced walls had once served the royalty to escape should the castle ever be overtaken, as was once feared in the years after the last Herald Mage Vanyel's time. Not that anyone after King Sendar would find much information on them, as he himself had altered the histories and chronicles detailing their existence.

The artisans of Valdemar, particularly those in residence within Haven prized themselves on knowing and boasting of their superior knowledge and understanding of all the structural glory that comprised the Palace, the Collegium and the surrounding landscape. How surprised these scholars and engineers would have been had they known how little they knew about the various hidden passageways and inner chambers that existed inside the documented walls of the Palace grounds.

The thought often tickled the elderly man, but of course he could never let such an uncontrolled emotion as amusement grace his features. To be anything less than controlled and stoic, would be unthinkable; to be all powerful he must be what ever person around him deluded themselves into thinking he was.

The tunnel forked to the left up ahead and would lead to a marvelous stained glass window. The window was actually a door that only opened from the tunnel side, to get back through it one could extend a bronze lever downward from the bottom of the sill frame to prop it open.

His business led him past the left fork and onward to a strange rust-colored door that was narrower than the passage but had a slanted top edge. Orthallen pushed it with his balled fist and crouched forward to enter the cramped room on the other side.

The room was hardly bigger than one of Housekeeper Gatha's linen closets. There was only enough space for a single small table and a pair of rickety wooden chairs.

Orthallen sat in the chair that faced the other door that led into the sparse room. Although he had labored himself to arrive on time, he sat languidly, leaning slightly to one side that gave an impression that he had been waiting long enough to become bored.

Keeping one arm partially extended on the table top he lent forward slightly to cast his upper body into shadow, this often made him look more menacing.

As the other door slowly began to open, he began to idly tap his first and third finger on the table to communicate his annoyance of having to wait, knowing perfectly well that his messenger was early.

The messenger in question arrived, with his hood up he dropped a single pouch and a tightly wrapped scroll onto the table before Orthallen.

"Did they take the bait?"

"Yes m'lord, the pin was taken from the body and delivered to the Queen."

"Good, a little scurry and fetch between Karse's envoys and Valdemar should provide enough distraction to keep the Council and the Heralds away from the rest of our business."

"What of the child, what progress has the maid made?"

"It isn't her you should be concerned with, but no matter, the plan continues on schedule."

"Is there anything else I should impart to the Prince?"

"Patience always patience."

A low wry chuckle from under the shadows of the man's hood signaled the end of the conversation. Orthallen reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small coin purse which when tossed, was caught by the right hand of the hooded man. The messenger backed out of the room slowly and when he was gone, Orthallen tapped twice on the solid tabletop before him.

The door to his right opened gently and the Royal Nanny, Hulda, glided in and took up the chair to his left. She was wearing a court dress, probably having just come from an evening of terrorizing the Brat with wicked tales of the evil Companions. It was a detail that had ensured the heir presumptive had kept a vast distance between herself and not only Companion's Field, but also the other Heralds.

Orthallen cupped Hulda's pretty pale chin with a smarmy grip of dominance,

It was a gesture that Hulda allowed him to think she enjoyed.

"I think the Hardornian Prince gets nervous when he can't watch your every move." Orthallen stated, his amusement playing in the smirk he wore as he traced his thumb over her lips.

"I think he worries that my efforts here are not quite worth the time I spend away from him. Such a petulant Prince is he." she retorted as she playfully slid her hand onto the geriatric Lord's knee.

"Just how dedicated a nanny were you to Ancar's education?" he asked almost jealous of her perverted attentions.

"I have simply planted the seeds that will fester well into his adulthood." she answered coyly, as she kissed his fingers before leaning back in her chair.

"But yes, business must always take precedent," he sneered. Orthallen was never naive enough to think that this clever woman in front of him was ever a true ally. Neither of them could or would ever fully trust the other, and it was only powerful forces outside of Valdemar that had brought them together at all.

No, he allowed her to think that she was the dominant figure in their twisted equation, when there was nothing he would have enjoyed more than snapping her clean little neck in his hands. Maybe one day she would outlive her usefulness and he might receive the honor of doing so.

For her part, Hulda played an innocence to Orthallen's real motives concerning her. There was no doubt in her mind that he would rather see her as food for crows then endure her touch or attentions, but she also knew she was far safer playing a submissive servant than to indulge in her true, cruel nature. She was behind enemy lines, and for the moment the role she played now was of more use to the cause.

"It's amazing to me how stupid the castle maids prove to be. They are always huddled in spare corners whispering about this and that heard through doorways or from secondary rooms." Hulda said flippantly.

"And what does the "this and that" tell you?"  
"That the Brat is having nightmares of evil white demon horses almost every night, and that the Queen and her precious Herald's Own are having quite the audience with Sir Baronal and his wife, Lady Fynna."

"That's the lesser noble holding to the east that Talamir offered to send the child to?"  
Hulda nodded before continuing,

"Yes, they are expected at the equinox feast to meet with the Queen in person."

Orthallen considered this tugging at the long whiskers framing his jaw and hiding the ghastly scar under his chin. The silence proved too unnerving for Hulda who restlessly pressed on.  
"Should we accelerate the demise of the designer?" she asked cryptically.

"No, it would draw too much suspicion, the original time line will allow us better protection of our resources. There isn't any harm in letting the negotiations proceed. Selenay would never agree to send Elspeth before her sixth birthday, that alone will give us the time we need to deal with Talamir."

Hulda eyed his speculatively but nodded her consent to his words. In the right pocket of her dress she rolled a small cylindrical vial between her fingers, delighting in the cool glass against her skin.  
_So small a thing to do so much damage_, she thought ruthlessly.

It had taken her ages to perfect the recipe, although having an unsuspecting test subject in the nursery had been of great help. Used once and a while the dark red liquid in the vial could aid in the unnatural disruptions of sleep due to trauma or disease. However continued use, even in small amounts, over long periods of time and the subject would begin to loose the sharpness of their memory and would begin to experience nerve sensitivity in their extremities. Slightly larger doses over a period of a few months would trap toxins in the blood and weaken the bodies ability to fight off illness and eventually lead to painful heart failure.

She idly remembered the first test subjects reactions to the drug.

Lord Orthallen narrowed his eyes at his beautiful counterpart as an evil little smirk on one side of her mouth grew into a creepy and devilish smile that matched the sadistic flash of her eyes.

Redirecting her attention he moved on to other business.

"I have news about the recruited Fox girl"

Hulda's smile vanished and her eyes snapped up to meet Orthallen's.  
"She has been positioned within the curriculum as a special instructor, and she is only teaching a specific percentage of the students, particularly those who are within a year of earning their whites. It seems that Selenay has been persuaded to continue the ancient Heralds position of Special Messengers. Miss Fox has been chosen to begin the training for the first generation of said title in four hundred years.

"We must be very careful of these developments, for they could prove to be troublesome for our allies."

Hulda said nothing but leaned forward in her chair deep in thought.

"What have you discovered about her relationship to Herald Alberich?"

"The gossip mill paints them as lovers, but one or two rumors of their previous affiliation is something you might find interesting."

"Previous affiliation?"

Hulda almost gave herself away in her urge to smile at knowing something that the great Lord Orthallen didn't.

"They knew each other in Karse." She sneered.

"Inventive rumors," Orthallen scoffed.

"Usually yes, but these tidbits came from two senior Heralds."

Orthallen looked at her hard then.

"You overheard this yourself." It was not an inquiry.  
Hulda nodded.  
"This could prove to be quite valuable information," he mused.

"Oh it was," Hulda said withdrawing her left hand from under her cloak and setting a good sized leather pouch onto the table between them.

Orthallen hesitated a moment before reaching for the parcel. He didn't need to look inside the bag to know there were gems inside, the raw cleaved edges of the unfinished stones slide under the leather between his fingers as he weighed the contents in his palm.

Hulda allowed herself to show a smirk as Lord Orthallen's usually stone cold expression slid back and his lips never more than a quirk, stretched into a disgusting smile of glee.

The two perpetrators locked eyes and said in perfect sickening unison,

"They are summoned."

…..

Talamir was at his desk in his rooms.

So often he could be found here, late at night working on some report, list or letter for the morning, or a lengthy declaration to present to the Council, but not this night.

The single candle that had led him through the first part of the evening had guttered out an hour ago, but the elderly Herald had not stirred to relight it. The wax was still tall over the iron edge, and the letter he had begun at sundown was still unfinished under his hand that rested on the cold table.

Talamir had not moved for hours, his eyes were firmly directed towards the night sky outside his window, but he could not see it. He held a determined set in his jaw and the glassy reflection of his gaze would have been all too familiar to other Heralds, but to the untrained eye he might have looked dead in his chair.

Suddenly and without warning Talamir raised his fist and brought it down hard on the table as though it had mortally offended him. In that instant his eyes cleared and he hung his head exhaling a breath he had been unaware of holding in a defeated rush.

Talamir shut his eyes in frustration when he felt his eyelids release some of the water he had been trying to keep at bay. He was so overwhelmed. He could neither protect his queen, nor convince his own companion about what must be done for the sake of Valdemar's future.

Rolan had not been the Companion that choose him, but as a fellow spirit of them all, he had hoped that the dutiful entity would have understood him enough to know that his course of action was the right one for Valdemar. Instead he had met with utter opposition to his plans, and the stubborn voice of a companion was hard to resist when in a mind lock with one.

In the end each had agreed to disagree, but a compliance of silence would be kept.

Talamir knew that it wasn't within Rolan to give up on his Herald, even if it served Valdemar to do so. The elderly man knew with every fiber of his being that this quality of Rolan's would be perfect for the Herald that came after him. No doubt that new Herald would need this relentless reassurance of faith, but this old man had seen too many things, and had learned too many enduring truths.

Rolan would not betray his mission to the others, but the Stallion could never condone such actions no matter how noble the intentions behind them.

Rolan felt a familiar and mighty presence next to him and gazed sideways into the equally blue eyes of Orestes. The two creatures did not bother to mind-speak, the gravity of the situation rested heavily on their shoulders whether they realized it fully or not, and for the moment just being there beside the other was enough.

Companions were usually open and social with the others, and so it was noticed by more than one set of blue eyes that on the edge of Companion's Field two stoic silowettes were sharing an isolated and silent moment at each other's sides. The silver hoofed others looked between their friends and up to the glittering sky searching for answers. For a sudden feeling of threat could be felt in each creature's core as swiftly as it was manifesting inside of Rolan's mind.

At the very same time, every Herald alive in the world felt that same unease crawl into them;

In the north end of the Herald's Wing, Keren and Ylsa rose from their chairs, tea forgotten and let their hands rest on their sword hilts.

Skif had been readying for bed but had suddenly crouched under his window, trying to make his breath as quiet as possible.

Alberich's head had come up from his book, and he had drawn his dagger while turning to Marie who had not moved an inch from her chair. Alberich noted that though her body had gone as still as a statue, it was only the resigned look in her eyes as they found his gaze that gave any hint of anxiety.

Rolan looked to his fellow Spirits and felt their Chosen's fear and saw their plagued dreams. His head hung a little lower to the ground in a show of resigned emotional fatigue.

"_Once more__"_, he spoke to his fellow Companions.

If anyone was looking at Companion's Field, they would never remember the beautiful blue white glow that mirrored the heavens above them that night. Each Spirit horse seemed to ebb a soft ethereal essence in exact rhythm with the brightest stars, it was more beautiful than the eldest days of the universe when the first solar fires were ignited by the gods.

As the light that resided in each Companion faded from the atmosphere, so did the hearts of their Chosen ease, and all but four Heralds would remark of the night's trouble as little more than a strange dream.

….

A/N: I am writing my first novel, and while that has become my first priority I will finish this story too!


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